A Lot Like Love
by Stessa
Summary: Best friends for life. Through good and bad. Through happy and sad. They will always be there for each other, no matter what. Will they ever be something more? A Troypay story.
1. Chapter One

**A LOT LIKE LOVE**

**Chapter One **

**We're Family**

Jack Bolton hurried down the hall, sweat pounding off his forehead. His heart was beating like crazy, and he really felt like crying. He needed to cry, he needed to get it out. But he needed to find his son too. It was a matter of life and death. That was why he was almost running in the hallway, even though he was one of the teachers who always told the students not to.

He was always happy, and usually, when the students greeted him with a "Hi Coach Bolton!", he stopped to chat for a few seconds, but today he was in a hurry, and he came off kinda sombre. He didn't even have the heart to make fun of Mrs. Darbus, when he brushed past her in the hallway, he just continued with his huge steps, and his pounding heart, down the hallway.

He had to get to Troy. To Troy, to Troy, to Troy.

He found him talking to a lot of his team-mates, leaning against his locker, even though there was only about a minute until the break was over. He stopped in front of his son, and Troy could immediately tell that something was wrong.

"Dad?" he questioned, pushing Jason aside, to stand in front of his father.

"Troy…" Jack said, swallowing hard, "There's been an accident."

"An accident?" Troy asked, his eyes getting wide, "What do you mean, by accident, dad?"

"It's Tessa." Jack blurted out, "She was hit by a car."

Troy froze for a second, as he thought of the last words he said to his little sister. Or rather yelled at her. He told her to leave him the fuck alone when he was changing, and the 11 year old just found it funnier to annoy him when he didn't want her to. He couldn't imagine, right there, ever living without their arguments. And he knew so many people who'd cry their eyes out because of these horrible news.

"Is… is she okay?" Troy asked, as Chad padded him reassuringly on the back.

"She's in the hospital, getting surgery right now, or something." Jack said, "Your mom called, she wants us to come down there. She told me to bring the family…" he paused and breathed out, "So, I'll go start the car, and you get Sharpay, okay?"

"Of course!" Troy nodded, pushing his father away from him, and starting down the hallway towards the classroom where he knew Sharpay had French next. Chad followed close behind him, looking confused.

"The _Ice Queen_? Why do you need to get the Ice Queen?"

"I just do, okay!" Troy snapped, turning the corner, and brushing right through a sea of people, and into the classroom, which Sharpay also shared with Gabriella. _Her_ face immediately lit up when she saw him, expecting him to come see her, but he walked past her, and stopped in front of Sharpay, breathing heavily.

She looked up at him, arching her well-shaped eyebrow, though affections were seen in her eyes, "What do you want Bolton?"

"Cut the act, Sharpay!" Troy quickly said, while starting to grab her stuff, and pull her from her chair, all the while ignoring the looks he got, "Tess was hit by a car."

"What!?" Sharpay shrieked, as she stood up, and her face fell, "Oh my God, Troy! Is she okay? Are you? What about your mom? Where's your dad? Are-are we leaving?" she questioned, as he grabbed her hand, and dragged her towards the door.

"We're going to the hospital, yes." Troy told her, but was stopped by Chad, who blocked the door.

"What do I tell Mrs. Darbus?" he asked, looking at Troy.

"Tell her I had a family emergency!" Troy said, using his 'I don't know, don't care'-tone.

"And what about the Ice Queen?" Chad asked, nodding his head towards Sharpay, who was standing close up against Troy, small tears in her eyes.

"Just…" Troy trailed off for a second, before getting his voice back, "Just tell her that the Ice Queen-" he stopped by the look Sharpay gave him, "…I mean _Sharpay_ had a family emergency too."

"And tell Ry I'll be home later!" Sharpay quickly added, before Troy pulled her out of the room, and through the hallways, where they got some pretty odd stares, because it was unusual. Seeing the Ice Queen and the Basketball King walking through the hallway, hands linked together. It was weird.

Jack was waiting right outside, and Sharpay and Troy jumped into the back of the car, and he drove off towards the hospital immediately. The three of them felt like their world had just ended. They couldn't imagine, young fragile Tessa being in the hospital, they just wanted everything to be okay.

Troy and Sharpay had a weird friendship. They had been neighbours forever, and when they were 7 years old, they made the 'Messenger', as they called it, between their bedroom windows, which were right in front of each other. They started by sending messages to each other, and they still did it, because those kind of things just caught on. They also used to share a lot of basketball games together before Sharpay became too girly to want to engage in them, which caused Troy to be quite unhappy. But they made it work, though.

Their parents were old college friends, so it was natural for their kids to grow up together. And it was funny, because Troy, Ryan and Sharpay were the same age, while Tessa and Ashlee (Ryan and Sharpay's little sister) were the same age, and went to the same grade. Troy also had a big sister named Tatiana, who was currently not doing anything, except living home, saving money for an apartment.

Though Troy and Sharpay didn't spend much time together in school, they were best friends. It wasn't because they wanted to hide their friendship or anything, it was because it just went that way. When they started high school, the cliques immediately took over, and they parted ways. They spoke frequently, but Troy was busy with basketball, while Sharpay had enough on her hands during a musical production. But they were best friends, beside anything else, and they spent every Friday night together, during whatever they wanted to. It was implicit, but one of them always showed up at the other's front step.

And they were all so close, their families joined for dinner a lot, celebrated Christmases together and such, so this was a really big deal for the Evans family also. Plus, Sharpay had always been like a big sister for Tessa. She'd helped her when she needed advises for girly stuff, and Tessa was always so proud to brag about Sharpay to the other 11 year olds. Sharpay was like a famous person for the middle schoolers. They were in awe whenever they saw her at the mall, or went to visit Ashlee, and Sharpay walked by.

So, this, was for Sharpay a huge thing. She just wanted for Tessa to be okay. She wanted to get to the hospital, so they could hear about her condition, and she'd be able to go see her as soon as possible. She hoped she wouldn't have permanent injuries after this accident, but it was hard to tell, since they didn't know how bad it was.

Jack dropped Sharpay and Troy off by the entrance, to find a parking spot, so the two teens made their way into the hospital, hand in hand. They were greeted immediately by Troy's mother, Lucy Bolton. She enveloped them both in a huge hug, and that did it for Sharpay. She'd been trying to hold back tears, but the waterworks started as soon as Lucy wrapped her arms around her.

"How is she, mom?" Troy questioned, as he pulled back, and looked at his mother, worry across his face.

"She's almost done with surgery. It's not as bad as it sounds, it was something in her ankle, they needed to place something in it, I don't know the details yet, but I will soon."

"So, she will be okay, right?" Sharpay asked, arching her eyebrow slightly.

"She will, yes." Lucy nodded, stroking Sharpay reassuringly on her bare arm.

"What happened, anyway?" Troy questioned, unintentionally letting his fingers play with Sharpay's, since their hands were still linked together.

"She was crossing the parking lot at school." Lucy explained, as they made their way towards a group of free plastic chairs, very hospital-y, "And one of the parents, who'd just dropped a child off, didn't see her, and drove right into her. It sounds bad, but apparently, she was very lucky."

"God, I can't believe this…" Sharpay whispered, as she let tears stream down her pale cheeks, "This stuff is not supposed to happen! Well… not to family anyway. It always happen to other people, right?"

"I know what you mean." Troy said, putting an arm around her, "But don't worry Paypay, it'll work out, I promise. She'll be okay."

"Thanks Troy," Sharpay sniffed, placing her head on his shoulder, "You're trying to make me feel better, and I appreciate that, though there's no way you can possibly know that."

"Ah… I do try." Troy laughed, affectionately stroking her across the cheek, while planting a kiss on her forehead.

Lucy smiled at the two teens, because even though her daughter was just hit by a car, the look of her son being so gentle with a girl, was a sight she'd always love to see. And especially it being Sharpay. Not that she didn't like Gabriella at all. She loved having her son's girlfriend over, but nothing could top Sharpay. Gabriella was always trying to be too nice, and too perfect, while Sharpay would just be herself. But that was probably because they'd known each other for so long. Gabriella had only been Troy's girlfriend for three months. Since right after _Twinkle Town_.

Her smile got even bigger when she saw her husband come through the doors, and she ran towards him and hugged him tightly. He kissed her affectionately, and they sat down by Troy and Sharpay, who had comfort in each other, while resting their eyes.

Lucy looked up when three other members of their family came through the doors. Tatiana came in, and right behind her was Ryan and Ashlee. Apparently, they'd decided that being in school wasn't necessary. And Lucy appreciated that, especially for Tatiana to be there, because she was the older sister. And though Sharpay was much closer to the whole Bolton family, because she spent so many nights there, it was great to see Ryan too. And Ashlee of course, she was practically Tessa's best friend anyway.

Lucy sighed in defeat when she realized that Richard and Viola Evans wouldn't come. She hadn't expected them to, because ever since Sharpay and Ryan became old enough of to take care of themselves and Ashlee, they were never home. Right now they were away on business. They earned a lot of money, but were never home. So whenever the Evans children needed some family-time, they always stopped by for dinner at the Boltons. Which of course, they didn't mind.

They waited in the hospital for what seemed like hours, and when a doctor covered in white finally approached them, all 7 stood up, expecting the worst news ever. But they were all happily surprised, when he looked at them with a smile on his face.

"We were able to implant a screw on the left side of her right leg, and it will help her walk. If not, she mightn't have ever walked again. She has a few broken ribs, a huge concussion, and her left arm is broken in three places. But all in all, she got lucky. No permanent damage."

They all breathed a sigh of relief, and hugged each other, happy tears streaming down their cheeks. It was those moments a doctor lived for. When he got to bring happy news, and watch the family cry tears of joy.

"So… when can we visit her?" Tatiana asked, placing a comforting arm around Ashlee, as to protect the younger girl.

"Well… She is awake, but… I don't know if she's up for visits right now. Though she did ask for a Sharpay, if she was here. Is that one of you?"

"That's me." Sharpay said, taking a step forwards, "I don't know why she wants to see me, but I better go talk to her…" she turned to the rest of her family, "I'll be back in a few guys, and you can go talk to her."

Lucy nodded, smiling. She was a bit disappointed that her daughter wanted to see Sharpay first, but on the other hand, she knew the two girls shared a deep bond. Tatiana wasn't much home in the age where Tessa really 'grew up', of course she was only 11 years old, so she had a lot of growing up left, but in the beginning of school, Sharpay was really there for her, because she had some problems. And Tessa had always looked up to Sharpay, because she was a girly girl. Tatiana was a sports girl. Almost all her friends were guys, she didn't wear makeup, she had _never _worn a skirt, and she played basketball 24/7, much like her dad a little brother.

Sharpay hurried down the hall, and softly knocked on the door to Tessa's room. She hoped to make it quick, since she wanted Lucy to say hi to her daughter as well. She knew it had to be important for Tessa to ask for her first. It was probably a hair emergency or something. Sharpay always helped her with those.

By the weak sound of Tessa's voice, Sharpay creaked the door open, and peeked inside, her face curious. She was met by Tessa's expectant smile, and opened the door fully, with her approval. She closed the door behind her, and went to sit on the side of her bed. She tried hard not to stare too much at the scrapes and wounds across Tessa's face, but it was hard, because she looked horrible.

"Hey Paypay…" Tessa said, reaching her not broken arm out for a hug, which Sharpay returned, "I'm so glad you came."

"Of course I came." Sharpay said, smiling sweetly, "You're family."

Tessa's face got covered with a huge smile, as she leaned back in the bed again, "Who's here?"

Sharpay giggled slightly, and lay down beside her, their heads touching, "I'm here, you're here…" she paused, as she got a slap from the younger girl, "No, seriously, Ry's here, so is Ash, T, Troy and your mom and dad, of course. We're all here for you. Why do you ask?"

"Just wanted to make sure…" Tessa whispered, smiling at Sharpay, "…you want to know why I asked you to come in first?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, I do." Sharpay said, turning her head, to lock eyes with the small, fragile girl, "I was wondering about it, all the way down here from the waiting area."

"Yeah, 'cause that's such a long walk." Tessa sarcastically replied, arching her eyebrow.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, and shot her the 'I'm serious!'-look.

"Fine!" Tessa said, laughing, "I wanted to see you first… Because I had a – don't laugh – a small problem! And I didn't want to ask my mom or T for help this morning, so I was planning on asking you later when you went to visit Troy-"

"How did you-"

"Please, Sharpay!" Tessa cut her off, giggling, "You _always_ visit Troy! And it's not the point… I kinda… I kinda got my period this morning, or you know.. I had it when I woke up!"

"WHAT!?" Sharpay shrieked, falling off the bed, "Your period! But you're only 11!"

"Apparently I'm developed early." Tessa said, her smile fading, "But I need help with all that feminine stuff now. I can't ask mom."

"Of course I'll help you…" Sharpay said, standing up from her position on the floor, "But you'll have to tell her eventually."

"I know," Tessa said, nodding her head, "But I want to get all this… hit by a car stuff out of the way, before I worry her more. You understand that, right?"

"Sure," Sharpay said, walking towards the door, "But I'll let your mom and dad in now, I'll be here tomorrow though, after school, I promise."

"Great," Tessa said, "I love you, Paypay."

"Love you too, Tess…" Sharpay whispered, before softly singing, "_Easy living, killed the young dudes, in the high boots…_"

"_Teenage, in the pace age, that's when love burns, now it's your turn!_" Tessa finished giggling slightly, as Sharpay made her way out of the door, and Tessa continued humming 'their' song, waiting for her mom and dad to get there.

--

Troy looked out of his window, as the familiar sound of the Messenger was heard. He stood up and approached the window, opening it, as he saw Sharpay waving from the other side of the hence. He took the little piece of paper out of the Messenger, slowly unfolding it, as Sharpay left her window, a smile playing on her lips.

He smiled at the words, neatly scribbled across the paper:

_Pick up your phone. _

And the minute he folded the piece of paper in his hands, his phone started ringing, with Sharpay's name flashing across it. He chuckled slightly at his dorky best friend, and flipped his phone open, wandering towards his window, "Could you be more dorky, Paypay?"

"Yes, I believe I could." Sharpay answered, waving at him, as she was once again back at her window.

He chuckled, as he watched her make a funny face, "Ah… I picked up my phone, what do you want?"

"Talk to you," she pouted, as she sat down by her table, turning on her computer, to start her homework, "Is that a crime now, or what?"

"No…" Troy quickly said, lying down on his bed. There was no use staying in front of the window, when she left too, "So, how are you feeling?" he questioned, throwing his basketball into the air, while his phone was caught between his shoulder and ear, "After everything that happened?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Sharpay replied, as she opened Word, and wrote her name on top of the paper – it was a science paper, "I'm glad she's okay, but Ashlee is crushed. I understand her, Tess is her best friends, had it been you, I would have stayed in the hospital during the night."

"Aw, you really love me that much, huh?" Troy teased.

"Shut up, Troy." Sharpay replied, giggling though, "Anyway… I wanted to get Tess something nice, so I figured.. Since she practically stole my Alphabeat CD, I went out and bought her one. Now she can listen to our song anytime she wants to!"

"That's great, Paypay…" Troy trailed off, smiling at his best fried, "She'll love it, I know."

"Ah, I hope so." Sharpay said, scanning through the assignment she was given. It had to be finished tomorrow, and she hadn't even started it. It was no surprise really – she hated science, "Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you done the science thingy?"

"Yeah, why?" Troy questioned, letting basketball be basketball, and turning on his computer, because he knew Sharpay would be asking for pointers in a second, "You've done yours?" he asked – just for good measure.

"What do you think?" she sarcastically replied, cocking her eyebrow, though he couldn't see her, "Did Gabriella help you?"

"What do you think?" Troy mocked her, but then chuckled, "Of course she did. She's a genius at this. Do you want some help?"

"Do you think Gabriella would mind?" Sharpay asked, trying to be polite. It wasn't that she didn't like Gabriella, and visa versa, but she had some small adjusting problems. She didn't like the fact she wasn't the only girl in Troy's life anymore. She had to share him with Gabriella. Because their relationship was really close, and now he had that with Gabriella too.

Gabriella hadn't liked the fact that Troy was so close to Sharpay. It came as quite as shock to her after everything that went on during the winter musical. Sharpay had also really hurt Troy feelings, because she knew how much he liked singing, because he often did with her. She was just hurt – and really mad – that he didn't do it with her. She'd begged him so many times to audition with her, so Ryan didn't have to, but he always said he didn't want to sing public. And then he went on and did it with the new girl, that really ticked Sharpay off for quite awhile, and it took a lot of begging from Troy's side to make her forgive him.

And then when she did, she apologised to Gabriella, who had just been on her first date with Troy, and she was kinda taken aback by Sharpay's nice personality. And now they were friends – sorta. They got along, also because they had to. But Sharpay knew that Gabriella was uncomfortable with Troy and Sharpay's close friendship. So Sharpay had tried to tone it down for their relationship's sake, but it was hard, because she loved Troy so much, and she needed him.

"No, of course she wouldn't." Troy assured her, "She's your friend, Paypay."

"Ah, yeah, alright…" Sharpay whispered, "But do you think you can tell me just some of it, and I'll edit and add, so it looks like my own? I'm just not up for writing tonight.. with everything that's been going on."

"Sure," Troy said, "I'll just mail it to you, that's easier."

"Thanks, T.B." Sharpay smiled, as an email popped up on her screen and she clicked on it, opening Troy's paper. She scrolled through it, loving the comfortable silence they had between them. She could only hear Troy's breathing, and it was so calming. She loved everything about him.

The way they could just sit on the phone, listening to each other, not saying anything. Or when they sat on one of their beds, just staring at each other, just being together. She just loved him, it was as simple as that.

Right now she was ready to kill him though, because he did that weird thing with his breath again. She hated when he did that, it was so annoying, and it always freaked her out.

"Would you stop doing that!?" she snapped, as always.

"What?" Troy asked, as always.

"That thing with your breath. You're doing it again."

"I'm doing what?"

"You're taking a breath in, and then you don't let it out again, it's annoying. I think you're dead." Sharpay said, her voice shrieking.

"I'm sorry, but I do that when I concentrate!" Troy argued back, chuckling on the inside, because of her weird ways.

"Just… stop it, okay?"

"Stop breathing?" Troy questioned, "Gee, I didn't know you wanted me dead."

Sharpay scoffed, as she read through a line of his paper, "Just shut up Troy!"

The other end immediately got silent, and Sharpay was still for awhile, listening intensely to Troy's breathing. She was positive that he was annoying her, because he didn't let his breaths out again. He did it on purpose because he knew how much it annoyed her! She was ready to kill him now!

"Well…" Troy finally trailed off, giving in to her, after a good two minutes, where he had turned off his computer, and taken off his clothes, to be in his boxers, "I don't have a paper to write – or add and edit – so I'm going to bed. Are you up for a run tomorrow before school?"

"Yeah, of course." Sharpay said, forgetting the breathing-incident, since she knew she wouldn't win it, as she stood up to approach the window again, smiling as she saw him standing there, in the Tom and Jerry boxers she bought for him two weeks ago, and nothing else, "I'll see you tomorrow, Troy Bolton."

"Can't wait, Sharpay Evans."

She giggled slightly, and finished off with; "I love you, Troy."

"I love you too."

* * *

_So. There you have it guys. This was just the first chapter of my new story. It's not much, I know, but it's all I can do right now. I have to finish off my Suite Life fic, and then I have a few joint fics left, which I need to write on, so this will just be for when I have time. Which will probably mean delays with updates. _

_And I have absolutely no idea to where I'm going with this fic. Normally I have it planned out, but this is just for when I have time, and just for fun… so I'll see what happens. And feel free to give me suggestions and stuff, because I can be in need of ideas. _

_Tatiana is the name of my very annoying little sister, though her name is spelled with a 'j' and not an 'i', but I thought I'd give her some credit. She deserves it, though she's pounding on my door right now, wanting me to play a game with her, which I don't have time for. Alphabeat is one of my favourite bands, as some of you might have figured, since I use them in a lot of my fics. Their songs are hilarious. Listen to them. And also, that weird breathing thing? Yeah, I do that. One of my friends get so annoyed at me when it happens. It's like… when I concentrate really hard, I forget to breathe, and she always mock me with it, and tells me to stop, so I figured it'd be a fun thing to add to Troy's character. _

_I don't own High School Musical or 'Fascination' by Alphabeat – I just borrowed them._


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

**Oh, Donald Duck**

"Oh Trooooy!?"

Troy stopped in his tracks, and stood still. He knew who that voice belonged to. It could only be one person. And he loved her so much. He chuckled slightly, and slowly turned around, coming face to face with his very gorgeous best friend, who was moving towards him in a yellow sundress with white flip-flops, and her blonde hair in two braids.

"Hi Paypay!" he cheered, embracing her in a deep hug, in the middle of the school's parking lot, "How come when we take off at the same time, you show up ten minutes later than me?"

Sharpay giggled, and pulled away from him, loading her book bag into Troy's arms, "I forgot half my stuff, thanks to you, T.B. I had to go back like… three times before I had everything."

"How come you're so stupid?" Troy questioned, as they made their way towards the school's entrance, him still carrying her books without a complaint. They got some pretty odd stares, but whenever they were together around campus, they got them, so they were used to it. People couldn't really come to terms with the fact that they actually were friends. Chad hadn't even digested the situation yet, and he had known for a loooong time.

"I'm not stupid!" Sharpay argued, opening the door for them both to go through, "I've been told I'm special, okay? And I needed my hairbrush."

"Your hair is in braids." Troy observed, giving her a weird look.

"Yes, but what if I get a hair emergency?" Sharpay questioned, as if that was the most normal thing in the world, "What if I suddenly can't go anywhere because it's started raining and my hair became all icky?" she arched her eyebrow in her own special way, and shot him another look, "Have you ever thought about that, Troy? Huh, no I didn't think so!"

"Can I repeat myself?" Troy questioned, his eyes wide, "How come you're so stupid?"

Sharpay hit him square across the chest, and grabbed her bag from him, before strutting down the hallway, her head high. Troy chuckled and followed her steps, to her locker, where he found Zeke waiting.

He scoffed. He didn't know why, but he hated that guy.

"Hey babe!" Zeke cheered, as Sharpay jumped into his arms, covering his face with kisses, leaving a trail of pink lipgloss behind, "I'm happy to see you too, Shar!"

"Hmm, I missed you!" Sharpay murmured, burying her head in his shoulder, while breathing in his sweet scent. He smelled like cupcakes and vanilla. She really loved that smell, "You have no idea how horrible it was yesterday!"

"Yeah, what happened?" Zeke questioned, then eyeing Troy, who was leaning against the locker next to them, "Is your sister okay, man?"

Troy shrugged slightly, his eyes lingering on Sharpay's fingers, which were softly stroking Zeke's chest, "Yeah, she will be, anyway. She's coming home in few days, I think."

"Okay…" Zeke nodded, placing his arms tightly on Sharpay's waist, "I felt totally weird when I heard it, and then I was thinking about taking Sharpay there to see her, but then Chad said that she had gone with you, so… I would have been there, but you know…"

"Don't worry about it," Troy said, managing a small smile, "But I better go find Gabby, I'll see you later Zeke. You too Paypay."

"Bye Troy-boy!" Sharpay giggled, as she watched him leave, waving his hand behind him.

Zeke turned his head to hers again, and placed a sweet kiss on her lips, "How come you're so late today, babe?" he asked, as he pulled back, and she kept her hands around his neck, while his was still on her waist, "I was waiting here forever…"

"Sorry…" Sharpay smiled, moving her index finger in a slow circles across his neck, "But Troy and I went for a run, so I had to shower, and I forgot all my stuff at home. And Troy!? P! The boy didn't even wait for me!" she scoffed, mocking Troy behind his back.

"You want me to pound on him for ya'?" Zeke offered, smiling too, since mocking Troy when he wasn't there, was something the couple did often. Just because Sharpay knew she could, and Zeke loved to see his girlfriend go defend his team captain if he went too far, or mock him when he did something stupid.

"Yes, please." Sharpay nodded, as she pulled back, and turned to her locker, getting her stuff together, "You can do it during basketball." She decided, a teasing smile playing on her lips, "'Cause I'm going to the hospital, but Jack and Troy has practice, so they just ditch Tess! I have to go there myself."

"Life's tough on you, huh?" Zeke said, irony implied.

"Tell me about it!" Sharpay joked, rolling her eyes too.

Zeke laughed, and took her hand, linking their fingers, "Let's get to homeroom, okay?"

"Yeah, let's." Sharpay smiled.

--

"Troy!?" Gabriella exclaimed, as she saw her boyfriend approaching her, "I'm soooo sorry about Tessa! I wish I could have been there, but I couldn't just skip school! Is she okay?"

"It's okay Gabby.." Troy sighed, as he pulled her in for a hug, "She's fine. She will be. And it's okay you weren't there, Sharpay was with me."

Gabriella froze for a second, "Oh really?"

"Yeah, you know how close she and Tessa are. Tessa was happy she was there." Troy said, opening his own locker to get his own stuff, "They talked and stuff."

"Yeah okay." Gabriella mumbled, crossing her arms.

Troy paused and turned to look at his girlfriend, a weird smile playing across his face, since he didn't know what to make of her comment, "Something wrong?"

"It's just…" Gabriella trialed off, shaking her head, "Nah, it doesn't matter."

"No, Gabby, tell me!" Troy said, turning to look at her, while taking a good hold of her hands, to get his point across, "If something is wrong with you, I want to know. I'm your boyfriend."

"I'm just…" Gabriella paused, and finally looked at him – straight in the eye, "I'm still not comfortable with your relationship with Sharpay." She told him, and by the look he got in his face, she quickly added, "I'm sorry, Troy!"

He let out a deep sigh. They'd been over this so many times! A _gazillion_ times, already. And he hated that she kept bringing it up, "Gabriella!" he said, helplessly, "I've told you this, but I'm not having sex with Sharpay! Honestly. We're best friends. We ran around naked in our backyard in the ages of 4, please.. How many times do I have to tell you? How can I prove it to you?"

Gabriella shook her head, "You don't have to prove anything, Troy," she told him, reaching her hands out to take his, "Because I don't want to be one of those bitchy girlfriends who tells their boyfriends that they can't have a close relationship with another girl. I'm happy that you're best friends with a girl, it makes you more sensitive about women's needs and stuff, but I just… I hate when you bring it up! If you don't talk about it, I can pretend it's not there."

"But Gabriella, she's my best friend, and she's your friend too, you can't just pretend that our friendship isn't real."

"I know…" Gabriella admitted, letting his hands fall, defeated, "But then I just don't know what to do, Troy. I really don't."

"You shouldn't even think about this, Gabby." Troy told her, lifting her chin up with his index finger, "It's you I'm with, right? I'm close with Sharpay, and yeah, when she sleeps over, we sleep in the same bed, and she borrows my clothes, but that's the way it is. Can't you just try to deal with it?" he placed a sweet kiss on her lips, "…for me?"

"I guess so…" Gabriella smiled, her eyes shining, "Thanks for sticking with me Troy, I know I can't be the easiest girl to satisfy."

"It's okay…" Troy mumbled, pulling her in for a hug.

--

"Hey guys…" Sharpay smiled, sitting her lunch tray onto the table, taking a seat next to Troy. She turned to him and planted a quick kiss on his cheek, "So? What's up?"

"Not much," Zeke replied, from across the table. He had on a smile, but he silently wondered why she sat down next to Troy, when there also was an empty seat next to him, "We're just chatting away."

"About what?" Sharpay asked. She was really hyper, and it was so not good. When she was hyper, she always got Troy worked up too, and they'd end up acting like maniacs, "Do we have plans this weekend?"

"Not really," Gabriella shook her head, and smiled at Sharpay, "I have like.. I dunno, and ton of AP homework I need to take care of. I will be studying my spare time away."

"Good that's not me!" Sharpay just exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air, "So we have like, no plans at all?", she listened carefully for a second, and when no one answered, she continued, "Well, that sucks."

"Big time." Chad agreed, his 'fro bouncing up and down, making Taylor burst into giggles.

Gabriella soon joined her, and the others started to talk, causing Sharpay and Troy a moment alone. She turned to her best friend, a smile playing on her pink lips. He smiled too, his porcelain eyes shining with laughter.

"So, the two of us tonight, as always?" he wanted to know.

Sharpay nodded, "Yuup, juust hanging out."

"Your place, right? 'Cause I think T is having her guy over, and her room is next to mine…"

"Definitely my place." Sharpay agreed, chuckling slightly. She didn't even want to think of Tatiana and her boyfriend, and whatever they might be doing, "We can just hang out. But I'm going to the hospital straight after school to visit Tess, you can come to my house when b-ball is over, kays?"

"Shall do, me amigo." Troy said, nodding his head, as they turned their attention back to the table, just as Taylor finished off her sentence.

"…and then I was like… quack-quack! And Gabby said, _Donald Duck_!"

That was Sharpay's que. Her and Troy had a weird obsession with old Disney classics, and Donald Duck was the top! She slowly locked eyes with Troy, and started singing:

"_Who's got the sweetest disposition?,  
One guess, that's who?_"

Troy quickly joined, as they sung to each other, to the amusement of their group of friends:

"_Who'd never, ever start an argument?  
Who never shows a bit of temperament?  
Who's never wrong but always right?  
Who'd never dream of starting a fight?  
Who get stuck with all the bad luck?  
No one but…_"

"…_DONALD DUCK!_" the gang finished and broke into laughter. They all clutched their stomachs, as they laughed, ignoring the strange looks they got from the other students in the cafeteria. But the school was used to them by now. After they all really started to eat together, lunch was never quiet. Especially not with Troy and Sharpay around, and eating together. The two of them always managed to get the rest of them worked up too. No one really knew how, but they just did.

They quickly looked up as they heard the bell go. They paused, then got their things together, before hurrying off in different directions.

--

"And then what happened?" Tessa asked, her eyes shining with laughter, as Sharpay told her story.

"We broke into a chorused version of the Donald Duck Theme Song." Sharpay giggled, clutching her stomach, as Tessa laughed as well.

"That's so Troypay!" she cheered.

"Troypay?" Sharpay questioned, wiping a tear of joy away from her cheek.

"Yeah, you and Troy." Tessa nodded, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Me and Ashlee named you."

"Oh God," Sharpay said, placing a hand on her heart, in fake mock, "I can't believe you Brangelina-ed us!"

"Oh, you two are meant to be together, face it!" Tessa teased, but stopped when she saw how serious Sharpay suddenly looked, "What?"

"Don't say that…" Sharpay trailed off, moving closer to her friend, "Don't ever say that. I hate hearing that. Everybody says we would make the perfect couple, and whenever we go anywhere together, y'know when we want an ice cream, people always ask Troy; '_Does your girlfriend want the same?' _and it's really bugging me. I love your brother, Tess, but he's my best friend. Plus, we're both dating other people."

Tessa looked at her hands, and let out a deep sigh, "It'd just be perfect!" she argued back, looking up at Sharpay again, "You're the greatest Sharpay, and…I'd love it if you could marry Troy, so we'd always be family. 'Cause if you don't, someday we'll part, and I'll never see you again!"

"Oh, that's so sweet, Tess…" Sharpay said, pulling the younger girl in for a huge hug, "But I'll never leave you, I promise, plus.. Marriage might be a bit too early, don't you think? I'm only 16."

"Yeah, okay…" Tessa said, grinning slightly, because she realized how silly she was being, "I just find it cool that you guys have such a close relationship, being a guy and a girl. If I had that with a guy from my class, everybody would tease us."

"Yeah, I know, they did that when Troy and I were younger," Sharpay assured her, stroking her hand across Tessa's hair, "It gets better when you get older. Did you have a guy in mind honey?"

Tessa blushed for a second, before slowly looking Sharpay in the eye, "…yeah. Kinda. Well, I like him… a lot. But I think it'd be cool to be best friends first, because we're so young. And then maybe in a few years we could become more, kinda like you and Troy."

"Troy and I are not-"

"You're not dating, I know." Tessa said, rolling her eyes, "But you could be, you love each other."

Sharpay chuckled slightly, and shook her head, "God, your mother really underestimates you, honey."

"I know, it's great, isn't it?" Tessa winked at her, and they both started laughing.

When her laughter calmed down, Sharpay quickly checked her watch, and realized she had to go, if she wanted to get everything ready for later when Troy came, "Listen, it's been great, honey…" she said, getting off the bed, "But I have to go home and get ready for later…"

"You and Troy are having a date… the usual one. Every Friday night… you guys watch movies, and eat popcorn, while cuddling together beneath one blanket."

"Shut up!" Sharpay said, hitting her lovely on the arm, "You're annoying me! Get it through your head, honey, we're just friends."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Tessa said, moving her fingers, like a mouth that talked.

"You know what, if you're gonna be like that, I won't give you the present I bought for you." Sharpay said, crossing her arms, while looking away from the 11 years old.

Tessa's face lit up: "You bought me a present? Seriously? What is it? I WANT IT!"

Sharpay chuckled slightly, because she couldn't stay mad at her, and digged into her purse, getting out the CD, "When you get this, I want my own back!" she told her, handing it to her.

Tessa looked down at the pink CD in her hand, and then up at Sharpay, a huge smile playing across her lips, "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" she cheered, getting totally hyper, "You're the best Sharpay! And you'll get your own back! Alphabeat rocks!"

"They rock my socks!" Sharpay said, and then hugged her bye, "I'll probably step by tomorrow, unless I'm busy. When are you coming home?"

"Soon, I hope." Tessa smiled, "But I can't walk on crutches, 'cause my arm is broken, so I require 24/7 look-out, and I'm not sure mom and dad will be able to do that."

"Can't you use one crutch?" Sharpay asked, leaning herself against the doorframe.

"I dunno," Tessa shrugged, smiling lightly, "We'll see."

"Okay," Sharpay said, turning to leave, "Bye Tess!"

"Bye!" she yelled, and then added, "…and say hi to your lover-boy!"

"I HEARD THAT!"

--

When Sharpay got home, she quickly tidied up around the house, mostly in her own room, because that would be were she and Troy would hang out. She then fixed herself, hopping into a pair of sweatpants and such, while chatting with Zeke on the phone.

"So what are you and Troy doing tonight?" Zeke questioned.

"Uhm, watching movies, I guess." Sharpay mumbled, placing the phone between her cheek and her shoulder, while getting into her tee – it was kinda tough, "The usual."

"Yeah okay." Zeke mumbled, "What movies?"

"I dunno, okay!" Sharpay said, snapping at him, even though she didn't mean to. She just always got so annoyed with him whenever he mentioned her and her relationship with Troy. She got annoyed with anyone who did that. She couldn't help it. When were people gonna realize that they were _just_ friends?

"Gee, I was just asking, Shar…" Zeke said, sounding sad.

"I'm sorry, Zeke," Sharpay mumbled, pausing to talk calmly with him, because she didn't want to be in a fight with him, "You just know how much it bothers me. And seriously, you and I: hanging out tomorrow, okay? I'm gonna prove to you that I love you."

"I know you love me." Zeke said, but he was chuckling slightly.

"Then why do you keep questioning me?" Sharpay questioned, crossing her arms firmly, though he couldn't see her.

Zeke let out a sigh, "I dunno, sorry Shar, get back to me about tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah…" Sharpay trailed off, "I love you…"

"Yeah, you too." Zeke just mumbled, before hanging up.

Sharpay closed her pink cell with a snap of her fingers, and angrily stared at it, cursing Zeke. Don't get her wrong, she loved the guy, but he was so annoying! She looked up from her phone, when the Messenger rang, and hurried to her window, seeing a small note in it.

She opened the window, and got the note out, quickly reading it over. It was from Troy, _duh_, of course, but he was stupid enough to send her a note saying that he would be there in 5.

She chuckled slightly, and cleaned up the rest of her stuff, pulling her long hair into a high ponytail, while she decided to forget all about Zeke and their fight (if you could even call it that, though it was something that occurred more often now) for the night. She just wanted to have fun and goof off with her best friend.

The doorbell rang, and she danced down the stairs, humming _Breaking Free _as she went. She opened the door, and immediately pulled Troy in for a deep hug, giggling like mad, as he spun her around.

"I see you got my note." He said, putting her down on the floor.

"I sure did, T.B." Sharpay replied, bouncing onto his back, with glee, "Now, carry me to my room."

"_Our_ room." Troy corrected, as he started to run up the stairs, a laughing Sharpay on his back, "Remember, Paypay, we're a package deal, and when have you ever had your room to yourself?"

"Uhm, never, I guess!" Sharpay replied, as she hopped off his back, and kissed his cheek as a thank-you.

"That's right," Troy smiled, as he plopped onto her pink pull-out couch, "And don't you ever forget it!"

* * *

_So yeah. I really don't know what was going on with this chapter. I just really wanted to get the stuff out about Troy's relationship with Gabriella, and Sharpay's relationship with Zeke. And then of course the Tessa and Sharpay bond, once again, which is a bond I really enjoy writing. I did manage to get a little Troypay friendship in there, I hope it was enough to keep you interested. _

_Oh, and of course, I don't own High School Musical, Alphabeat or Donald Duck. _


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

**She's Your Best Friend**

"No!" Sharpay argued, looking at Troy, a wild look in her eyes, "I want to watch _The Notebook_, get it through your little brain!"

"Are you calling me dumb?" Troy shot back, holding out _I Know What You Did Last Summer_, "I wanna watch this one! You can watch your chick flick with Gabby!"

"Come on, Troy!" Sharpay whined, pulling his DVD out of his hand, and throwing it on the bedding, "We're watching mine!" she continued, jumping on top of him, which caused them both to land on the floor, with a thud.

"God, Sharpay, you're blonde _and_ heavy!" Troy teased her, wrestling _The Notebook_ out of her hand, and getting a good hold of her, with him on top. He sat on her stomach, and pressed her wrists into the carpeted floor, looking down at her, a champion's smile playing on his lips.

"Gah, I hate you, Troy Bolton." Sharpay said, not even trying to struggle. She just looked up at him, a smile playing on her pink lips as well. Her hair was spread around her, because the ponytail holder couldn't even keep track of it, and she was breathing heavily, her stomach moving up and down, which Troy could feel, because he was sitting on it.

"Welcome to the club." Troy told her, arching an eyebrow.

Sharpay giggled again, and their eyes locked. They just stared at each other for a minute, like they always did. Their gazes were equally hard, and they both wanted to win their staring match. Who'd want to be a loser?

But as always, Troy backed out, and Sharpay won. She started teasing him, and he had to pay her back for that. So he did what he knew would _always_ work – he started to tickle her. He let his left hand slide under her top, and let his fingers tickle away on her flat stomach. The other hand moved around her body, tickling her wherever it could reach.

She squirmed beneath him, wriggling, and giggling, because if there was one thing Sharpay Karen Evans was; it was ticklish.

"Oh no, Trooooy!" she giggled, out of breath, "Stop it, Troy! Stop it, I can't- I can't breathe.. Please! TROY! Make it sto-op!"

"You know what you have to do-oh!" Troy said, using his sing-song voice, "Say the words!"

"I will NOT!" Sharpay said, breaking into another laughing fit, as Troy's fingers moved to an especially ticklish spot on the insides of her thighs, "You'll never-" breath, "…never hear it!"

"SAY IT!" Troy yelled, laughing down at her, because her face was so red, and he loved watching her struggle, "SAY IT RIGHT NOW!"

"Aaha!" Sharpay let out, breathing heavily, "GOD!, TROY MATTHEW BOLTON IS THE HOTTEST GUY ALIVE ON THE EART, AND _I_ WANT TO HAVE HIS BABIES!"

Troy stopped tickling her, and fell down beside her, laughing like crazy. Ah, he loved when they did this. No matter what, he could always get her to say it, and he enjoyed hearing it, because he knew how much it pained her to yell it.

Sharpay had stopped laughing too, and was breathing in and out, trying to steady herself. She turned around to look at him, anger flashing in her brown eyes, "You're gonna pay for that, T.B."

"Ha, you know it." Troy mumbled, pulling her to him, so she was resting her chin on his chest, and their eyes were locked, "I didn't know you wanted me that badly, Paypay," he smirked, moving a strand of her golden hair out of her eyes, "You know, you could have just told me you wanted to go out, I would at least have considered it. But then again, it shouldn't surprise me, really. I know I'm hot."

"Yeah, once you grow up a bit, and get some real muscles, we can totally reproduce." Sharpay mumbled, now resting her cheek on his chest, while running her fingers, down his bare arm.

"Well, then you have to take that fake hair color out of your hair, and I'll be yours truly." Troy told her, thinking back to when they were kids, and Sharpay's curly brown hair had covered most of her face.

Sharpay hit him across the arm, and got more comfortable by his side. Troy let his arm rest on her waist, and they lay there, taking in the moment, and letting their heartbeats get slower. They breathed in and out, just listening to the TV, which was set on some random channel, before they got in a fight about which movie to watch.

Troy was just thinking about everything. How he really needed to set a date with Gabriella soon, how nice Sharpay smelled, how he had like a ton of homework to do when he got home tomorrow, how Sharpay's skin felt so great beneath his hands, and how he wished that Tessa would get back from the hospital soon. He let his hand slide into Sharpay's blonde, messy locks, and combed through them, before resting his hand there.

"We'd make some hot babies." Sharpay suddenly said, before nestling closer to his body, letting her face hide in the crook of his neck.

Troy chuckled slightly, wondering where that one came from. But he's too comfortable to speak to her, he just laid there, letting his fingers massage Sharpay's body, wherever they waned to. She didn't seem to mind either, she made a content sound, as her breathing became slower.

When they'd been lying there for some time, just relaxing, and enjoying each other's company, as always, Troy's stomach suddenly made a huge sound, announcing what he's been feeling for the past 15 minutes: hunger.

Sharpay giggled and pulled away from him, sitting up, while padding his stomach, "Oh, is little Troy hungry?"

"Beyond." Troy said, but he's still not getting up. He's simply too comfortable to want to move.

"Oh," Sharpay said, putting her lips out in a pout, "I'll kiss and make it better." She let out a short giggle, before moving his t-shirt up a little, revealing the lower part of his stomach. She leaned down and placed a short kiss there, before bouncing up from her seat and out of the room.

Troy lay still for a second, not forgetting the tingling sensation he got when Sharpay had kissed him. He was totally stiff, and his eyes were wide. What had just happened? She had practically kissed him on… GOD! He didn't want to finish that thought. He covered his eyes with his hands, wanting to calm himself down before he followed her. The lower section of his body was feeling weird, and he dared not to look down there.

"COMING, LOSER!?"

Troy quickly sat up and looked towards the door, where he could hear Sharpay already fiddling around, from the kitchen. She could really holler, if he could hear her from there. He stood up from his position on the floor and quickly calmed himself down, before running down the stairs, taking the last three steps in one jump, as he had always done.

Sharpay was sitting by the counter, eating out from an overfilled bowl of coco pops, and he sat down opposite her, reaching for the bowl and spoon she had placed in the middle of the table. She just looked at him, questions in her eyes, as she chewed, and he filled his bowl with cereal and milk.

"Hmm-mm, chocolate." Troy mumbled, putting the first spoonful into his mouth, "Nothing better."

"Close your mouth when you eat." Sharpay told him, as a drop of chocolate milk came out of his mouth, and slid down his chin.

He quickly wiped it away, looking her in the eye, "Yes, Paypay, I'm sorry."

Sharpay giggled, and he soon broke into a laughing fit as well. God, he just loved when she laughed. And even more when he was the one who made her laugh. There was something about the way her eyes lit up, and the way her cheeks flushed. He just loved watching her being happy.

Nah, he just loved her.

--

Sharpay fiddled with her skirt, making sure it sat perfectly, before knocking on Zeke's front door. She hoped he wasn't too mad at her because of the phone call last night. She just really didn't want to listen to her own boyfriend accusing her for being more than friends, with her best friend.

So now, she was going to surprise him. He'd told her to call him, when she found a date, but she wanted to surprise him. Just for the hell of it.

It was Zeke's mom, who opened, and she was pleasantly surprised to see Sharpay there. Mrs. Baylor had always loved her, Sharpay knew that. Zeke's whole family loved having her over, and they all treated her so nicely. They were all just sweet and caring – like Zeke. And then both his mom and his dad were awesome cooks.

"Hey Sharpay." Mrs. Baylor smiled, "Zeke is upstairs doing homework, you can go on up."

"Thanks, Mrs. Baylor." Sharpay cheered, slipping out of her golden flip-flops, and practically dancing upstairs, knocking on Zeke's bedroom door. She could hear his music playing. Or rather, _her_ music. It was one of the CD's she'd left at his place. She didn't know why, but he sometimes listened to them, even when she wasn't there.

Right now, Cassie Steele; _Broken (How Much For Happy?)_ was streaming through the speakers, and it was Sharpay's favorite. He probably couldn't hear her knock, because he didn't respond, so she made her way into the room, admiring his back as he sat there, by his laptop, doing his homework. He had nothing on but boxers, and she wondered why that was, when it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and she had dressed up nicely.

She closed the door safely behind her, and tip toed towards his back. She stood there for awhile, reading his homework over his shoulder, and he didn't hear her. Then she softly placed her hands on his back, and slid them upwards, towards his shoulders. He stiffened for a second, right when she touched him, but she guessed he figured it was her, because he relaxed, and turned to look at her, a smile on his face.

"Hey Shar!" he cheered, pulling her face in for a deep kiss, "You surprised me!"

"I know!" she giggled, just as the CD changed to _Empty Eyes,_ "But I couldn't resist, you were just sitting there… with only your boxers on, looking _so_ sexy…" she suggestively slid her hands around his neck now, and took a seat on his lap, their faces inches from each other.

"I'm looking sexy?" Zeke questioned, his eyebrows raised slightly, "Have you looked yourself in the mirror lately?"

Sharpay giggled again, and kissed his lips, letting her tongue break through his lips. His hands rested on her waist, rubbing her there, in small circles, while her own hands rested around his neck, keeping his head in place. They kissed for a long time, just exploring each other's lips, while their hands explored the other's body.

Zeke's hands somehow ended beneath Sharpay's top, resting on her back, with his thumbs brushing her breasts.

Sharpay pulled back, looking deeply into his eyes. She awkwardly cleared her throat, "Did you have an idea there, Mr. Baylor?"

"Ah, well…" Zeke said, "If you want to. We can also wait."

"No," Sharpay shook her head, kissing his nose lightly, "No, right now seems like a very good idea. I love you, Zeke."

"I love you too, Sharpay." Zeke mumbled, before going in again, pressing his lips to hers.

--

Troy stared into space, his eyebrows crooked together. He was just lying on his bed, thinking. He couldn't get that kiss out of his mind. Well, it wasn't as much the kiss, as it was the feeling he got when she kissed him. They'd kissed before, plenty of times. During games of Truth or Dare, or… when they got caught up in something.

She was his first kiss in the age of 9, and they'd kissed at times, when they were younger, just for tell hell of it, experimenting together. Or hell, just three weeks ago, they made out, even though they were both dating other people, just because they felt like it. And he loved her, he didn't mind.

But he'd never felt that weird sensation before. He'd enjoyed their kisses, and told her she was a great kisser, but he'd never felt a tingle. He wondered why that was. Was he getting older and wanted to have sex? Or was it just because she'd never kissed him _there_ before. He didn't like these thoughts, because somehow… they all revolved around Sharpay, and how she made him feel.

_Gah, face the facts Troy_, he told himself, hiding his face in his pillow, which smelled of her, after she slept over last weekend, _You love her, don't you? You practically want to go have crazy, kinky sex with her, and YOU have a girlfriend. What's wrong with you? She's your best friend!… but she's so amazing. _

"AAAAAAAAAAAAARRGH!" Troy screamed into his pillow, getting all his frustrations out. He hated this right now! Why, oh why, did she have to be so amazingly beautiful. Why did she have to smell so good, and why did she have to be the sweetest person alive on this earth? The only person he could talk to about everything, well, ah… except this. He could talk to no one about this.

"Troy!?" his mother yelled, through the door, "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yes mom!" he yelled, removing his pillow from his mouth, so she could hear him clearly, "I'm okay!"

"I heard a scream!" she said, calmly this time.

"I just…" Troy trailed off, letting out a deep sigh, "I just talked with Chad on the phone, and dropped it. No biggie, mom. I'm okay."

"Great," she said, still through the door, since she knew not to open it, Troy hated when people budged in, "Your father and I are going to pick up Tessa now. Tatiana is in her room, if you need her. We'll be home as soon as possible, though it might take awhile."

"Fine!" Troy said, moving onto his left side, staring out his window. He could look right into Sharpay's room, and mostly, when he did that, she was sitting by her table, and he could just watch her, silently, without her knowing. But right now she wasn't there, because she was out with _Zeke_.

"What's up, lover boy?"

"Get out, T!" Troy yelled, not even turning around to look at her. He just threw his pillow after her, hoping he'd hit her, but apparently she had bent down, because the next he knew of, was his big sister, sitting right next to him, a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Troy?" she asked him, and now she sounded really worried, actually.

Troy didn't want to listen to her, though, so he didn't look at her, "I will be, as soon as you get out." He mumbled.

Tatiana didn't budge though. She was silent for awhile, as if she was thinking, "Is this about Sharpay?"

"What about Sharpay?" Troy questioned, now turning to look at her, his eyes half closed.

"You kinda like her, don't you?" Tatiana asked, her eyebrows arched together, as she got comfortable in Troy's bed. She really wanted to make sure her brother was okay, because even though they often fought, she loved him deeply.

"Well, she's my best friend…" Troy trailed off, trying to sound confused. But his acting lessons didn't pay off, Tatiana saw right through him.

"You know Troy," Tatiana said, sounding so much wiser than him, "There is a reason why people always assume you guys are together. There is a reason why people always asks you if your girlfriend wants the same." She took a pause, for dramatic effect, "It's because of the way you look at her."

"She's just amazing." Troy mumbled, as he decided to open up to his big sister. It happened once in awhile, that they had talks like these. And when they did, she often ended up giving him advice he could actually use, "I can't really help it, T. I know we've been best friends for ever, but have you seen her lately?"

Tatiana nodded, a smile playing on her lips, "She has curves that I'll only ever dream of. And she's really beautiful, she always has been. I understand you, Troy. But what I don't understand is why you're dating poor Gabriella, when you really like Paypay?"

"Listen to this, T!" Troy said, sitting up in bed, "Sharpay and I will never happen! And Gabriella is nice. Sharpay and I will always only be best friends. She's with Zeke, okay? And she loves him. I could never ruin that for her."

"Well, it's not fair to Gabriella." Tatiana still reminded him.

"Maybe I should break up with her." Troy wondered out loud, as Tatiana just watched him, thoughtfully, "I mean… We'll both be sad, but we'll get over it."

"Yeah," Tatiana nodded, agreeing with him, "And then you can tell Sharpay how you feel. Or you could do that first. Whatever floats your boat."

"But it'll ruin our friendship." Troy whined, looking up at her, questions in his blue eyes.

"No, it won't." Tatiana said, shaking her head, at her little brother, "If she turns you down, and you still manage to work it out, it'll only make your friendship stronger."

"I guess I could talk to her later…" Troy said, "I mean, she's coming over to greet Tessa home tonight. She'll probably sleep over too. Ash and Ry are coming too. I guess I'll just pull her aside, and y'know… talk to her about this."

"Great," Tatiana said, standing up from his bed, "And I'm sorry if you feel like I'm meddling in things, that I shouldn't meddle in, but ah… I hate seeing you like this. And Troy, I know this for _sure_; you and Sharpay – you'd make the perfect couple."

--

Troy was happy to have Tessa home again. She couldn't walk by herself, but his mother had taken time off work, because she didn't want her daughter to live at the hospital for three months. And Tessa was happy because of that. She'd see her family more now, and she could be in her own room, watch her own movies, and listen to Alphabeat.

His mom had made dinner for 8, since the Evans kids would be coming over, and right now they were just waiting for them to arrive. Tatiana was sending Troy knowing glances from across the table, and he just shot her a reassuring smile. He was kinda nervous about all this. What if Sharpay just shot him down? How could their friendship survive? He wanted to back out, but still.. he just wanted to get it off his chest.

The front door opened, since Sharpay was first, and had a long time ago, stopped using the bell, so they all entered, an overload of gifts and flowers in their arms. Ryan plopped all his down on the couch, and Ashlee went into the kitchen to put the flowers in water. Sharpay put her gifts on the coffee table, and Jack helped Tessa up, so she could take a look at everything.

Sharpay turned to her, a smile covering her beautiful face, "Welcome home, Tess."

Tessa shot her a smile, before Ryan pulled her in for a hug, and she hugged him back. Then she started to take a look at everything. Some might think they exaggerated a bit, but that was the Evans', they had the money to do this, so they did it.

Troy stepped behind Sharpay, and placed his arms around her waist, pulling her body to his, "A bit much, don't you think?" he whispered in her ear.

"Ah, whatever." Sharpay mumbled, turning her head slightly to the side, so she could look him in the eye, "It's good to have her home."

"She's been away for 3 days." Troy chuckled, "You sound like it's been 3 years…"

Sharpay giggled slightly, and turned around completely, kissing him lightly on the lips, "I have something to tell you!"

"Really?" Troy questioned, swallowing hard after the little kiss she gave him. She might have done things far worse before, but after his thoughts and his talk this afternoon with Tatiana, he couldn't handle being so close to her. "I actually… need to speak to you too."

"Really, what about?" she asked, and he couldn't help but notice a wider grin than usual. She seemed overly ecstatic about something, and he suspected it was what she wanted to tell him.

"Come with me…" Troy mumbled, taking her hand. He linked their fingers, and shot Tatiana a saying look, before going up to his room. He locked the door behind them, and they sat on the bed, looking at each other.

"So…" Sharpay said, trailing off a bit. She sounded quite nervous, but also anxious, "What did you want to tell me?"

"Uhm…" Troy said, studying her face really close for a second or two, taking in her features, and how happy she looked. She was about to burst, he could tell so, "Why don't you go first?" he suggested, knowing it'd give him some extra points someway.

"Okay!" she cheered, her grin getting wider, "You know how I went to see Zeke after you left, right?" she looked at him, and he slowly nodded, so she continued, "And well yeah… Since you're my best friend, I'm telling you this _before _I even tell Ry, or Gabby! We sorta… we sorta took our relationship to the next level."

Troy looked at her, confused. What the _hell_ did she mean by that? He didn't know. He just let the news sink in, a weird look in his eyes, "Oh-kay…" he said, "Not to be annoying or anything, but what do you mean, Paypay?"

She giggled slightly, because of his aloofness, and hit him across the arm, "Well, Zeke and I, we… we had sex!"

* * *

_Uhm, so yeah. I thought about it a lot, and decided to end this with a slight cliffy. Now none of you knows how he's gonna react! Muhaha XD Anyway… I hope you liked this chapter. I really do. I got some great Troypay moments written in the beginning of the chapter, and I'm sorry about the Zekepay (looks guilty into the floor) but I had to add it. It's important for what I've been thinking about happening. As you know, I have no story-line at all, which is a really big deal for me. For this fic, I'm just writing, so any suggestions will be welcomed, and taken to consideration! _

_And I don't own High School Musical or Alphabeat. I don't own Cassie Steele's Broken (How Much For Happy?) and Empty Eyes, which are two mentioned songs. I have a slight obsession with her right now, her music is just… a-ma-zing! Really, if you haven't; go listen to it. _

_**Review replies; **__(because your reviews rock my socks)_


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**Ah, Those Family Nights **

Troy stared at her for a few seconds, as he let the words sink in. Did she just say that… He stiffened and exhaled deeply. Looking into his lap, he thought harder about the words that just flew out of her mouth. He couldn't believe them. Did she actually say those things…? Did she really sleep with Zeke?

He looked up again and stared deeply into her eyes, getting lost in the pool of brown.

"Troy?" Sharpay questioned, moving her hand slowly in front of his eyes, to catch his attention, "Tro-oy…"

He finally snapped out of it, and seemed to see clearly, "Yeah, wha-?" he paused and got a small smile on his face, getting himself together, "That's great Sharpay. I'm happy for you!"

"Yay!" Sharpay cheered, wrapping her arms around his still stiff body. She squeezed him so tight, that he could feel two special parts of her body, press right into his chest, and if he hadn't been so hurt and angry right now, he'd sure have enjoyed it more, "It was so… _amazing_." she finished, breaking away from him.

"Yeah…" he mumbled, smiling at her, the best he could manage, "It's great Paypay… I'm happy for you."

Sharpay froze for a second, and frowned at him, her huge smile disappearing, "You know, Troy…" she said, looking at him, her eyes sad, "…for some reason you don't seem so happy."

Troy's heart broke even more than it already had, when he saw how unhappy she became just there, just because of him. He quickly pulled himself together, not wanting to ruin this moment for her. Her put on his happy smile, and stroke her chin gently, "No! No!" he said, excitingly, "I'm happy for you, Paypay! I was just surprised for a second… Really, I'm happy for you. I am."

She giggled slightly, though she didn't believe him very much, "Ah, Troy… You owe me 50 bucks."

Troy paused for a second, and chuckled, "That's right, I do." He nodded his head, "You lost it first, I guess. You'll get them as soon as I have them, fine?"

"Very." She nodded, her smile huge, "Gosh, can you remember the day we made that bet?"

"Oh yeah," Troy laughed, pulling an arm around her shoulders, "How could I ever forget…"

_15 years old Troy Matthew Bolton looked at his best friend Sharpay, as she was busy packing her things for the next day of school. It was the first day in a new school year, and they were both overly excited. Sharpay had just turned 15, but Troy had been that age for awhile. They were starting high school tomorrow, and they were both quite nervous._

"_Gosh," Sharpay said, sitting down, when she seemed to have packed and re-packed her bag at least a thousand times, "I can't wait for tomorrow, Troy. I'm so scared it's gonna go like shit, but still! It's high school, I mean, c'mon! It's a new part of our lives."_

_Troy chucked and pulled her in for a hug, "Just think about it, Paypay…" he whispered lightly in her ear, his breath tickling her there, "It's a new chapter here. So many things are gonna happen to us before we get out of high school. We'll meet new people, probably get serious girlfriends and boyfriends. And maybe even… if we get that, have sex." _

"_Oh," Sharpay said, smiling at him, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes, "That sounds awesome. Ah, you're not supposed to take that in the wrong way, but seriously… We'll be like, really old when we leave East High, so we probably won't be virgins anymore. Or maybe you will," she teased, "I know, I won't. But you, ha, who'd want to sleep with you!?"_

"_Oh, you're so mean, Sharpay Evans, I wish I could kill you," he paused, as he thought that one over, "But how do I do that without losing you?" _

_She giggled and hit him softly across the chest, "You're mean Troy, and that's exactly why no girl will want you." _

"_Oh, you're sure about that, are you?" Troy questioned, wrinkling his eyebrow in a suggestive manner, "Why are you lying, I know you want me?" _

"_Gosh, you wish, Troy Bolton!" Sharpay shrieked, looking awfully offended, "And if you're so sure you're irresistible… do you care to make it interesting?"_

"_Make what interesting?" Troy asked, because he'd seriously lost what they were talking about. Somewhere in the middle of all the teasing, he'd completely forgotten. That was how it usually went with them. _

"_The sex stuff…" Sharpay said, rolling her eyes because of his clueless-ness, "Y'know? The whole losing our virginity and all. What do you say we bet who'll lose it first?" _

"_Oh…" Troy got a huge smile on his face, when he realized what they'd been talking about, "Yeah, I care for that, Paypay, but you know you're gonna lose."  
_

"_No, I won't." Sharpay said, as a matter of fact, "You'll give me 50 bucks before you lose yours, I know you will. 50 bucks is the deal, right?" _

"_Okay, sounds fair enough…" Troy said, but paused, as he got another idea. He chuckled slightly, before looking deeply into her eyes, "But what if none of us loses it, huh? What if we're both virgins when we leave East High to go to collage? We can't have that one on us, can we?" _

"_Hmm…" Sharpay looked thoughtful for awhile, "I doubt it'll happen though, 'cause I'm amazingly gorgeous." _

"_Haha," Troy sarcastically said, mocking her, "…I'm serious. What if that happens? Do we do something about that, 'cause I have an, if I do say so myself, amazingly awesome idea. Wanna hear?" _

"_Yeah okay?" she said, arching her eyebrow slightly. She had a feeling about this, and she knew he had dirty thoughts. He was a boy, and yeah… he was Troy Bolton._

"_If we're both virgins at prom night, we'll sleep with each other!" _

_Sharpay lost her jaw, and hit him across the head, "Stupid!" she exclaimed, "I won't sleep with you! You're my best friend, and eew… Just the thought, you're sick Troy Bolton!"  
_

"_Am I?" he just questioned, looking at her, "Seriously Sharpay, wouldn't you feel weird leaving Albuquerque if you were still a virgin?" _

"_Hmm, I guess so…." She trailed off, not really wanting to give into him. Because seriously, it was a sick thought. She couldn't imagine ever doing something like that with him. Sure they could kiss, they'd done it before, but sex… No. That was just wrong._

"_And!" Troy chipped in, adding the last touches to make her give in, "I said yes to your idea, so you need to say yes to mine, to make it fair." He finished his rant, by sticking out his lower lip in a pout, which he knew she couldn't resist._

"_I guess so…" she gave in, repeating herself, "Yeah okay, we can do that, Troy." _

"_Yes!" he teased, but stopped when she hit him on the head._

"_But just so you know; it won't happen, 'cause I'm not a virgin at prom." _

"_Yeah, yeah…" Troy said, moving his fingers to her ribs, where he started to tickle her to death. _

"I guess I'm never gonna sleep with you then," Sharpay said, cutting him out of his trance, out his flashback, "Dang!" she giggled.

"Oh, you wish, Sharpay Evans." Troy said, cocking his eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

"No, thank you." Sharpay quickly said, pushing him away from her, so they were far apart, "I'd rather do it with Zeke again."

"Please Paypay," Troy said, ignoring the pang of jealousy and hurt, which shot through his body, "He's one of my buddies, and you're my best friend. I won't really listen to this. But I'm happy for you, I really am."

"Haha," Sharpay said, pulling him in for a hug, even though she just pushed him away, "I love you Troy Bolton, you're the bestest friend anyone could ever have."

"Yeah," Troy said, as he awkwardly hugged her back, happy that she forgot about his news, and what he needed to speak to her about, "Yeah, so are you Paypay. Just my best friend."

--

Tatiana shot him a smile when they emerged downstairs, eyeing him suspiciously. She looked like she was about to burst, but he quickly shot her a glare, cutting her off before she blurted out something that Sharpay didn't need to hear.

"Soo…" Sharpay cheered, bouncing towards a chair, where she sat down, looking at Lucy, "What's for dinner tonight? Something amazingly good I hope, 'cuz I'm starving!"

"Sure Sharpay, honey," Lucy smiled, chuckling slightly, "How can you even think that about me, huh? My food is always amazingly good."

"I know!" Sharpay laughed, leaning back in the chair, to sit better, "You're the coolest cook."

Lucy shot her another smile and hurried into the kitchen, wanting to finish the last of their dinner. Tessa, Ashlee and Ryan were already engaged in a video game. Ashlee and Tessa were playing, while Ryan was cheering on, his eyes following the cars on the TV screen.

"What's this?" Troy asked, eyeing them suspiciously, "No!" he said, when he saw what Ashlee was doing, "Ash, you're so not playing with a pink convertible! That's plain wrong in a car game!"

"I made it like Paypay's!" Ashlee argued, giving him the death-glare. A glare she'd learned from her older sister, because _she_ was the master of it, if not the inventor.

"Yeah, I know!" Troy said, rolling his eyes, "But she can drive in that when she goes shopping. In a game like this you gotta have some big car that go a hella fast!"

"No!" Sharpay butted in, hitting his shoulder lightly, "A pink convertible is the best car ever, no matter what you're doing. My car rocks."

Troy rolled his eyes, and quickly ducked out of the way before she hit him again, making his way towards the other side of the room, where he was safe. Sharpay's eyes followed him, and she sent him another glare, telling him that he'd have to pay for that one later. She was Sharpay Evans, she couldn't let any form for insult slide past her.

Just then Lucy announced that dinner was ready, so Tessa and Ashlee paused the game, and they all went into the dining room and took each a seat. The food smelled wonderful, and Troy could her his stomach complain in hunger, so it was right on time. Sharpay almost felt like drooling – that was how much she loved Lucy's food.

"Everyone; dig in!" Lucy cheered, smiling at her 'family'. She knew that Sharpay, Ashlee and Ryan weren't her kids, but honestly, she spent more time with the poor Evans children then their parents did, so she found it fair for her to consider that. And she loved them so much. The whole Bolton family did. Tessa and Ashlee were like twins, though there was a half year's difference. Ryan was really close with Tatiana. They could talk just about everything, while Troy and Sharpay were… well, practically joined by the hip.

She loved when all her kids hung out with their friends, but there was something about seeing Troy with Sharpay that just made… it made her heart flutter, and a huge smile appeared on her face. The two of them very so perfect together, and she wished that… Yeah, she wished that they'd end up being married. She really believed they could too, because Troy was well… Ah, according to Tatiana, he was head over heals for his blonde friend.

Now, Lucy wasn't quite sure if he'd realized it himself yet, but she could see it. Tatiana could see it. Practically everyone in their families could see it. But she wasn't too sure about Sharpay returning those feelings, and she wouldn't get her hopes up before Troy had came to realization. She hoped he'd do it soon, because Sharpay seemed to be falling more and more in love with Zeke each day.

You could tell just by the way she was smiling today, that she'd been spending time with him earlier on.

"Could you pass me the pasta, Ash?" Sharpay questioned her sister, her cheery smile lightening up the whole table.

Ashlee grabbed the pasta bowl, and went to hand it to her sister. However, she didn't let go of it, even though Sharpay had her hands on it, "What's up with you today?" she questioned instead, chuckling slightly, "You seem so… happy?"

"Nothing," Sharpay replied, tempting to get the bowl, but Ashlee wouldn't let go of it, "Ash, give me the bowl!"

"No," Ashlee said, furrowing her brow, "Tell me why you're so happy and all smiley? You were with Zeke earlier? What happened between you two!?"

"_Nothing_," Sharpay said, this time implying 'nothing', while giving her sister a firm glare. She really didn't want to bring this up right now. It would be totally embarrassing in front of Troy's parents. They'd known her since she was a baby.

"Something happened, tell us!" Tessa butted in, from the other side of Sharpay. She looked up at the older girl, a huge smile on her face. Everything Sharpay did was awesome in her book, and that was why she always came to her for help, and not her mom or big sister.

"I will not!" Sharpay gasped, finally letting go of the pasta bowl, because she had given up on trying to get it, "It's not your business."

"I wanna know!" Tessa said, her face getting brighter, much to the amusement of her mom and dad.

"I kno-ow!" Troy sang, shooting Sharpay a mean smile. He figured, if he was hurt so much, the best way to forget it all, was to tease her, and get a rise out of her. It was the way it had always worked between the two of them, and he didn't want to make her suspicious. She shouldn't know about this.

Tessa turned to her big brother, her smile getting even brighter than before, if possible, "Tell me! Tell me!" she cheered.

Troy chuckled, and slowly leaned down, whispering in her ear. Sharpay watched as his grin grew wider, and Tessa's smile fell. She looked disgusted for a moment, before turning to Sharpay, letting out; "Eeew, you had sex with him?"

Sharpay let out a fake gasp, and shot Troy a death glare. He quickly shot up from his seat, and she followed right in suit, ready to pound on him. She couldn't believe he'd actually told her. He should know his baby sister better, she couldn't keep her mouth shut, of course she'd blurt it out!

Lucy's face fell, as her son and his best friend left the room, to play some weird game of tag, consisting of Sharpay catching him, and then killing him. She looked around the table, to Tatiana looking weirdly at her plate, while Ryan's jaw was at the floor. Of course it was a surprise for him too. He must be really out of it – his own twin sister.

Jack was chuckling slightly, just finding everything amusing, while Tessa and Ashlee were sitting there, their arms crossed, with disgusted looks on their faces.

"Oh…" Tatiana let out, as she finally realized why Troy had been so freaked out when they emerged from upstairs, "That's why he didn't tell her…"

"Tell her what?" Ashlee's face shot in her direction, eyes curious.

Tatiana waved her off, shrugging slightly, "Nothing…"

Lucy just smiled to herself. Not because she found the situation funny at all, but because she figured what Troy had been about to tell her. Too bad he was a little too late. Maybe just yesterday, and Sharpay wouldn't have done this. Maybe it would have changed her decision.

Jack opened his mouth and was about to reply, when they heard Sharpay holler from up the stairs:

"I'M TELLING YOU, TROY BOLTON: ONCE I FIGURE OUT WHERE YOU ARE, YOU'RE SO DEAD!"

She came running down the stairs, and slid into the living room, almost slipping on her socks, because she was in such a hurry. She looked around the living room, suspicious, as to figure out where Troy was hiding, but none of them in there knew it, and she could probably tell.

When she realized everyone was looking at her, she blushed a bit, and scanned her brain for something, so she wouldn't be the one in the spotlight. When her eyes landed on Tessa, she remembered what she had told her in confidence, and decided to let it out now.

She let out a sigh, and placed a sweet kiss on top of Tessa's head, "By the way, Lucy…" she said, moving towards the door, backwards, "…Tessa got her period last week."

Before Tessa was able to even look at her, Sharpay was out of the dining room, searching for Troy again. Lucy Bolton though, she just shot her youngest daughter a suggestive glare, letting out a scoff,

"Care to elaborate on that, honey?"

--

"I can't believe you told her!" Tessa said, sending a glare in Sharpay's direction, as she stood in the doorway to Troy's room, where Sharpay and Troy were huddled up beneath one blanket, getting ready to watch a movie.

"Well, you blurted out my secret, thank you very much." Sharpay said, looking briefly at the younger girl, who now leaned against the doorway, to rest her arm, which was holding her crutch. She'd managed to convince the doctors that she could walk with only one crutch, because her arm was broken, and she really wanted to get home. She was able to, plus, if it became too much, there'd be a ton of people ready to help her.

"You didn't tell me that it had to be a secret." Troy mumbled, taking a better hold of Sharpay, pulling her closer to himself.

"No, but she didn't have to blurt it out in front of your parents and my siblings!" Sharpay said, rolling her eyes because of his cute-ness, even though she wasn't that happy with him at the moment, "It was really embarrassing. Your parents are like my parents, and I can't imagine Ryan wanted to know about my sex life!"

"Okay, maybe that wasn't my best move," Tessa admitted, rolling her eyes, "But you promised me you wouldn't tell mom about me getting my period, and then you say it in front of everyone."

"Not everyone," Troy chipped in, shooting them a cheesy grin, "I wasn't there… which by the way, I think is a shame, because I wanted to see mom's reaction."

Tessa rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, "Anyway, let's just say we're even and never talk about it again, okay?"

"Okay," Sharpay agreed, nodding her head.

"Good," Tessa confirmed, getting her one crutch ready, so she could leave, "Now… I have to go have an 'important' talk with mommy, so I'm gonna leave you two love-birds alone."

Before Sharpay or Troy had time to yell at her, or throw a pillow at her she had gotten out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Troy chuckled slightly, which caused Sharpay to giggle too. They just looked at each other, laughing for about a minute, enjoying each other's presence. After Sharpay had found him, she'd hit him on the arm, as her punishment, and then they'd went down to finish up their food, and then left to find a movie.

Ryan, Ashlee and Tatiana had set up a game in the living room with Jack, while Tessa and Lucy were supposed to have their 'important' talk, as Tessa had phrased it.

"Turn on the movie now, Troy Bolton." Sharpay demanded, snuggling closer into the crook of his neck, just wanting to be close to him for now. She loved when they had these sort of nights. She knew they had them all the time, but she never got tired of them. It was the greatest, just to lie close to him. She always felt so safe in his embrace.

"Okay, okay," Troy mumbled into her hair, taking in the sweet scent of her coconutty shampoo. Gosh, he really loved that smell. He grabbed to DVD remote, and hit play, which caused _Legally Blonde_ to start playing across the screen. Sharpay had chosen the movie this time, because he honestly didn't want to fight with her about it tonight.

They probably wouldn't get to watch it for very long, because they were both really tired. They'd end up falling asleep with all their clothes on, and the TV going. Just lying there in each other's embrace, snuggled together. He knew nothing better. Sharpay was just… _it_. She was the one person he could be himself with. She was the one person who got to him like no other, and she was always there for him, and she was just… so Goddamned beautiful.

Sharpay let out a low moan, as she stretched her body for a second, and then look up at him, "Troooy?" she questioned, sounding really tired.

"Yeah?" he questioned, his breath hitching in his throat, after the sound she just made. It went straight into his hormones, and did very inappropriate things to his body.

"Are you doing something for the Talent Show?" she asked him, her lips brushing against his neck each time she spoke, "I mean, it is next week, and sign up is Monday at school."

"Yeah," Troy said, brushing a strand of her golden hair out of her eyes, "Yeah, I know. And yes, I am. I'm not quite sure what yet, but I'll be singing. Are you going to sign up?"

"Duh, Troy," Sharpay giggled, moving her head to rest on his stomach, as the movie was forgotten, "Yeah, I'll be singing too. I'm not really sure what yet either, it can change many times before Friday."

Troy chuckled slightly, and looked down at her, a smile on his face, "Gosh, Paypay… You're so wonderful. I love you so much."

She turned to look at him completely, so she was practically lying on his stomach, staring straight into his eyes, "That was random, Troy, but gosh, I love you too."

Troy stared right into her brown eyes, and got lost in the way they lit up with the happy sparkle she always had. He wanted so much to just kiss her right there, but he knew he couldn't. She wasn't his girlfriend, she was Zeke's girlfriend. Even though it hurt so much, he couldn't just mess everything up because of what he wanted. He wasn't even sure if she thought that way about him too.

She planted a chaste kiss on his lips, and moved onto the bed again, getting her head back into the crook of his neck. It was her favourite position to lie in, and they both knew it. They just lay there for a few minutes, watching the movie now, while resting their tired bodies.

Troy was thinking about Sharpay and Zeke and their relationship. How happy he was for her that she had someone as great as Zeke, but also how he wished she'd just want him. He couldn't quite get it through his head though, that she had actually had sex with him. It seemed final at some sort. It seemed like it really proved that they loved each other and that they were meant to be. He didn't know why, but he'd always dreamt of doing it with her. Having his first time with her, because he wanted it to be something special. And who was more special than her?

He knew he had Gabriella. And God, Gabriella was such a sweet girl. But she wasn't Sharpay. She wasn't the cute blonde girl he'd known all his life. She couldn't make him laugh of nothing, and she didn't love him with all the good and the bad. He wasn't so sure about his relationship with her anymore. It seemed to him like he was just with her, because he couldn't be with Sharpay. And that was wrong. It'd hurt Gabriella more in the end, than breaking up with her would, he knew that.

How come he was being such a jerk?

"You're doing it again, Troy!"

Troy looked down at Sharpay, questions floating in his blue eyes. He hadn't quite caught all she had said to him, "I'm doing what again?"

"You're taking a breath in, and then not letting it out." Sharpay told him, lifting her head up to look at him.

"I'm concentrating!" Troy quickly defended himself. It was a very ordinary argument for them to have. But Troy swore, he didn't do it to annoy her, he didn't even realize he was doing it. He just did it when he was concentrating on something. Like the movie – or his thoughts.

"But it's creeping me out!" Sharpay whined, lying back down, though.

"Ignore it." Troy offered, pulling her closer.

"It's hard to ignore the fact, that you think your best friend is dead." Sharpay just told him, her eyes moving back to the TV screen, telling him that this conversation was over for now.

Troy chuckled slightly, and relaxed completely too. Maybe Sharpay was dating Zeke right now, but it didn't stop their loving embraces, and friendly kisses. She still cared a lot about him, Troy knew that, so right now he'd have to settle with this. Though it would be nice to strangle Zeke and then give Sharpay all the comfort she needed…

God, a boy can dream, can't he?

* * *

_Oh I'm so sorry about the delay! It was longer than usual, but I've been SO busy with everything. I'm like… really sick right now. So I hope I get better soon, 'cuz everything I do is wearing me out. I'm ready to fall asleep right now after writing this. _

_I know a lot of you were excited about this chapter, so I hope I did the justice with it. I'll be updating as soon as possible, I promise that :o _

_And I don't own High School Musical, or Legally Blonde. I'm just borrowing everything to make this story float nicely. I hope it's okay, and I promise to put it all back once I'm done!_


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

**Enough About Sex!**

Troy let out a low groan, as something brushed against the lower part of his body. His kept his eyes shut and took in the quick brushes that kept coming. He didn't know what it was, but it felt so dang good. He could feel himself getting more and more excited, and he still didn't know what was up with it.

"Mmmhmm…" he groaned, as he shifted comfortably in his sheets. The feeling he had in his lower region was awesome.

"Trooy…" someone whispered, and the next thing he knew, he could feel a hot breath on his neck, and then a trail of kisses were placed there, getting lower and lower, until they reached his chest, "Troy babe?"

Troy slowly opened his eyes, and came face to face with a mess of blonde hair. Sharpay looked up at him, a huge smile in her brown eyes, and his eyes bulged slightly out, as surprise shot through his body. He was really confused, but still he couldn't help but enjoy her small kisses, and the fact that she was doing _something_ to a very private part of his body.

"Sharpay…" he whispered, reaching his hand out to stroke some hair out of her eyes, "What…. eh, what are you doing?"

She looked down at him, before planting another kiss on his lips. She pulled back, smiling at him with that breathtaking smile of hers, "…something I should have done a long time ago…"

He could feel his boxers getting smaller, as she started to work with her fingers again, and he let out another moan. She giggled slightly and kissed him again, on the mouth, letting her warm tongue into his mouth. He let her, and kissed her back with everything he had. His hands moved onto her waist, as they kept kissing.

Troy really didn't know how it happened, but somehow Sharpay's top went off, along with her bra, so she was completely topless on top of him. He couldn't really comprehend it, and he knew they should talk about this before doing something so huge, but he couldn't stop. It was all his latest dreams coming true. Who could say no to that?

He moved to flip them over, and before he knew what was happening he ended on the floor with a loud thud.

Troy shot up from his position on the floor, frantically looking around for Sharpay to see if she was hurt. He was surprised though to find her lying on her side, dressed in her clothes, sleeping tightly. He took a look at his clock on his nightstand and realized that it was 2:28 in the morning.

_Dang, _he thought, looking down at his bulging boxers, _it was just a dream! …but it felt so real…_

He got up and sat down on his bed again, breathing hard. He couldn't believe he'd just had that dream. And with Sharpay right there next to him! How lucky he didn't wake her up with his constant moaning and groaning. That could have been really embarrassing.

He let out a deep breath and studied her face harder. She looked so peaceful as she was lying there. He reached out and brushed a strand of her golden hair away from her flawless face, as he scanned her body. He was silently pondering over which part of his inner images of Sharpay, that might be true.

He hurriedly got out of bed and digged through his closet to find some more comfy clothes for Sharpay. She was resting there in her tight skirt and top, it couldn't be easy to sleep in. He took his own shirt off so he was only in his boxers, and then found a pair of shorts and an old basketball t-shirt for Sharpay.

He carefully took her clothes off, and tried not to wake her. He didn't want to look too much at her body, but he couldn't help himself. It was a grand opportunity, even though he wished he had more self control. He let his eyes linger on her chest area, where her full breasts were hidden by a red, satin bra. He slowly lifted her upper body, and tried to support her, while he got the shirt on her.

He then lay her down again, carefully, and reached up beneath the too big shirt, to find the buttons on her skirt. He undid them, and slowly slid the skirt off of her, trying not to look at her underpants either. Or her legs.

Gosh. He'd always loved her legs. They were so long, and tanned and smooth. Always, when she danced around in her mini skirts, he'd let his eyes linger on her legs. He knew a lot of the love struck guys at their school did too, and he hated them for it. It was okay for him to look, she was his best friend. At least that was what he convinced himself, even though it wasn't reasoning enough to ogle over a girl who wasn't his girlfriend.

When he was done, he moved onto his side of the bed again, and reached for his duvet to cover them with. He pulled her a bit closer, so it'd be big enough for the both of them, slowly closed his eyes, getting ready for sleep.

_Ah, _he thought to himself, as Sharpay snuggled closer to him, moving her arms around him, _I hope I don't have that dream again… though I won't mind continuing it some other time, when… Sharpay isn't there. _

--

Sharpay slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the faint sunlight that streamed through Troy's window. She smiled a little and stretched her arms, careful not to wake her sleeping best friend.

She turned onto her side, to take a look at him, when she saw something she wished she'd never seen. His duvet had somehow managed to slide off of the both of them during the night, so he was lying there in only his boxers. And well yeah, it was clearly visible that he was… uhm, rock hard.

Sharpay suppressed a low giggle, and watched his face, as he smiled wider and wider. It was clear that he was having a very _pleasant_ dream. Gosh, she almost felt sorry for him. Should she wake him up and tell him there was breakfast soon, or should she let him sleep, and save him from the embarrassing encounter? On the other hand, though… if his mom or dad came up to wake him, it'd be even more embarrassing. Plus… she couldn't let this situation pass. It was too much for her to handle. The temptation for huge embarrassment was too strong. She had to wake him.

She reached out and slowly poked him on the shoulder, and that seemed to trick something in him. Not exactly what she was… aiming for though.

"Uhm, that feels great…" he said, his voice hoarse, "Mmmhm, oh … Shar babe, that feels good."

Her eyes went wide at what he just said, and she shot back like she'd just burned herself. Unfortunately, she was right by the side of the bed, so before she knew it, she was sitting on the floor, and Troy was looking down at her from the bed.

"Are you okay, Paypay?" he asked, concern written across his face, even though he looked slightly flushed.

"Yeah," she replied, moving onto the bed again, "Yeah, I'm okay… Are you…" she glanced at his boxers again, without even thinking, "Are you okay?"

"Me, yeah, I'm fine!" Troy replied, smiling adorably at her, "Why shouldn't I be?"

She leaned closer to his ear, and lightly whispered, "You have something in your pants."

Troy glanced down briefly, and the minute he realized what had happened, he covered his crotch, and looked at her again, his cheeks getting red, "Oh my God…" he whispered, pulling his duvet on top of him, "That's so embarrassing. That did not just happen!"

Sharpay just giggled like crazy and watched him freak out. Gosh, this had got to be the best embarrass-Troy-moment ever. It was totally worth waking up early for.

"Gosh Troy, relax!" Sharpay said, padding his leg lightly, "It's not that bad.. Though I must say… the things you said, pardon, _moaned_ was quite interesting. Did you have a nice dream?"

Troy's cheeks reddened even more, when he locked eyes with her. He quickly looked into his lap instead. Oh no, that dream he just had was about her and him… making love on some secluded beach. And he'd said her name just about a hundredth times. She had heard him… Oh no.

"Trooy!" she said, lifting his chin up to look at him. She decided to joke her way out of this, it was far better than having an awkward conversation, "I know I'm gorgeous, but I didn't realize you wanted me _that_ much."

"Shut up!" he said, smacking her hand away, "It's not funny, Sharpay!"

"You seemed to have a very good time, Troy…" she told him, her smile getting wider and wider. Gosh, she just loved to tease and embarrass him. It was those moments she lived for.

"It's so embarrassing, Sharpay!" Troy argued, his hands still on his crotch even though his duvet was also covering it, "Please promise me we'll never speak about this again, okay? Please say you won't mention it to anyone?"

Sharpay scoffed, and shot him a weird look, "Why are you so embarrassed, Troy? It's not like it's that weird. It's normal for boys to dream things and have a reaction… Gosh, I remember when Zeke had that the first time he spent the night. He was so embarrassed too, but hey – he's a guy. You have hormones. And I guess it's hard for you, because you're this age, but you're not having sex yet, and-"

"Sharpay, could you please shut it!" Troy cut her off, now actually sounding quite mad, "Just leave me alone please!" he then turned away from her, and lay down on his side, not wanting to look at her any longer.

Sharpay was slightly taken aback, but she reached her hand out, and touched his shoulder lightly, "Troy… I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It's perfectly okay… Even if _I_ was the one in your dream…" she resisted the urge to giggle, for _his _sake, "…I guess it's tough for guys to have a close friendship with a girl without thinking those thoughts once in awhile. It's okay, Troy, it was just a dream. No harm done."

Troy didn't respond to her. He just closed his eyes, and wished she'd leave. He needed to calm down, and her, stroking her hand across his shoulder, wasn't exactly helping him. It was only making it worse.

"…Troy…" she whispered, and then let out a sigh, "I'm going downstairs to eat, okay? Come down soon, eh?" she stood up from the bed and made her way towards the door, where she paused and turned to look at him again, "Thanks for giving me something comfy to wear during the night. I love you."

Troy still didn't reply so she just left the room and closed the door safely behind her. In his room, Troy was feeling guilty. He could have treated her better, it wasn't her fault that he had inappropriate dreams about them. He had to apologise later. He couldn't stand it if they were gonna have this tension between them all day long.

--

"Morning Sharpay!" Lucy cheered, as Sharpay sat down by the breakfast table, quickly grabbing a bagel and some butter.

"…morning." Sharpay replied. She knew it wasn't Lucy's fault, but the 'argument' she just had with Troy was making her feel bad. It was all the small things. She just couldn't stand to be this way with him. She loved him too much to let this go on. She had to speak to him later. But she also had to go home soon, because she promised to call Zeke, and she kinda wanted to have that conversation in private.

Lucy shot her a questionable look, "Anything wrong?"

"Nothing." Sharpay said, and it seemed to her, that she had said that a lot lately in Lucy's presence. She wanted to open more up to her. Also because she knew she could. Lucy would listen to all her problems, she always had. She was the coolest mom, and very helpful.

"Trouble with the boyfriend?" Jack asked, turning a page in his paper. They were the only three up yet. Tatiana always slept late, and Ryan had maybe gone home last night. Ashlee and Tessa were probably watching cartoons in Tessa's room. They always did that in the mornings.

"No…" Sharpay said, briefly looking up at them, while she was buttering her bagel, "Well yeah, sorta. It's Troy."

"What's with Troy?" Lucy asked, now curious. She couldn't help but be. She wanted to know what had happened between them now. They loved each other and all, but they argued a hella lot too.

"I don't want to talk about it…" Sharpay mumbled, taking a bite of her now buttered bagel, "I mean… I sorta promised that I wouldn't, y'know? 'Cuz it was sorta, like… embarrassing. I dunno, but I feel weird, and he didn't want to speak to me."

"Oh-kay…" Lucy said, nodding her head up and down, because _that _explanation was _not_ weird at all, "Then I won't ask you. Uhm… but there's something else Jack and I talked about last night… that we'd like to, uhm, discuss with you?"

Sharpay looked up at them, and slightly wrinkled her nose, confused, "Huh?"

"About you and Zeke." Jack said, as he closed his paper, and folded it nicely. He then placed it on the table, and turned to look fully at Sharpay.

"Oh my God!" Sharpay said, immediately freaking out again, "I'm so sorry about last night, it was so embarrassing! I swear, I wanted to kill Troy and Tessa, because I didn't want you guys to hear about it, especially not during dinner. And then with everything, I just-"

"Relax, Sharpay," Lucy said, cutting the young teen off, "It's not about last night, it's just… Since your parents aren't here that much, we figured we have some responsibility in this."

"Responsibility?" Sharpay questioned, clearly confused again.

"Yeah, to make sure that…" Lucy trailed off, and looked at her husband for support.

"To make sure that you don't get, eh… how do I say this? To make sure that you don't get pregnant. That you know how to protect yourself, because you're still so young."

Sharpay's eyes were almost falling out of her head. It was clear that the Boltons were uncomfortable talking about this, and sure as hell she was too. Gosh, this was such a weird day. So far it was 8:35, and all she had talked about was sex!

"We want to protect you." Lucy finished, smiling.

"Well…" Sharpay said, fidgeting in her seat, "You don't really have to worry about this. Zeke and I, we… We know how to do this stuff. We learned in all in Sex Ed class. But thanks for your concern."

"Are you on the pill?" Jack Bolton suddenly asked, smiling teasingly.

_Oh God, _Sharpay thought, as she swallowed hard, _oh God, oh God, oh God! This can't be happening! This is… Gosh, I can't believe I'm having this conversation with my best friend's parents. This is so embarrassing. How.do.I.get.out.of.this?_

Luckily, Sharpay didn't have to think of an excuse, because for once Troy had a very good timing. He came down the stairs, still only in his boxers, but he looked better than before, as he sat down next to Sharpay, grabbing a muffin from the plate his mother went up early to make.

"Morning mom!" he smiled, "Morning dad."

"Troy!" Lucy said, looking at her son. She was kinda glad he broke up their conversation, even though she knew it was important to have that talk with Sharpay, since she knew Viola would never have it, "Good morning."

Troy nodded to his mom, and then turned to look at Sharpay, who shot him a teasing grin. He shot her a death glare, but that didn't stop her. She just giggled to herself, and eyed his boxers.

"Don't you dare!" he hissed, hitting her lightly on the shoulder.

She bit her lip, and locked eyes with Lucy. She was happy that Troy wasn't mad at her any longer, but the temptation to tell his parents about the incident was almost too hard to handle. Aaah, the embarrassment…

She opened her mouth to speak, but Troy kicked her in the shin, "Sharpay…" he warned, his eyes shining.

"Troy woke up happy this morning!" she blurted out, before she could even stop herself.

Troy groaned and placed his head on the table with a loud clunk. Trust Sharpay to tell your parents about your sexual dreams. Gosh, he really should find a new best friend.

"Happy?" Jack questioned, eyeing his son's neck, "Happy as in…?"

Sharpay giggled and covered her mouth with her hand, while she nodded her head, "He had a very _pleasurable_ dream. Didn't you Troy?"

Lucy rolled her eyes for a second, before letting out a deep sigh. Those two teens… Gosh, they couldn't think of other things than that. On one hand, she wanted to tell them to shut it, but on the other hand, she felt really bad for Troy. It was pretty embarrassing for him, she knew that. After his special feelings for Sharpay occurred, it probably wasn't easy to share a bed with her.

"Shut up, Sharpay." Troy groaned, as he lifted his head up, revealing his red cheeks.

"Anyway," Sharpay said, pushing her chair back, "I gotta go home and shower. I'll be back later to pick up my stuff. See ya'."

"Bye Sharpay!" Lucy smiled, as the blonde girl smacked the front door close. She turned back to look at her son and husband.

"Don't be so embarrassed, Troy!" Jack told his son, knowingly, "At least now we know it works!"

Troy shot his father a dirty look and rushed from the dining room, to go shower too.

--

Sharpay hummed to herself, as she packed her things for the next day of school. She had jumped into her night clothes 20 minutes ago, turned her music on, and was just relaxing. It was only 9.15, but she was tired. She just wanted go on the computer, and maybe talk to Troy or something.

She looked through her window and into Troy's room, where she could see him sitting by his computer. She therefore turned her music down a little, and turned her own laptop on. When it was on, she logged on, and not two seconds later, he'd IMed her.

She giggled a little, and quickly typed 'hi' back to him, as she went online, to surf around on the internet too. She wanted to check some of her favourite online stores, to see if anything new was there.

The next message from Troy told her to pick up her phone. She rolled her eyes and took it as soon as it made a sound. She flipped it open with her finger, and giggled into it, "Hi Troy-boy! Did you have a pleasant talk with your dad yet?"

"No, not yet." Troy mumbled, chuckling slightly, "But I'm sure it'll come soon. Or maybe when they start to think Gabriella and I are having sex." He fake shuddered, "That's not gonna be fun."

Sharpay rolled her eyes, "You should have heard them before you came downstairs. Your father seriously asked me if I was on birth control!"

Troy laughed, but then turned serious, he couldn't help but be curious, "…are you?"

"Shut up, Troy!" Sharpay shrieked, eyeing him evilly through the window, but he just waved back, goofily.

"Oh, are you talking to me?" he said, in playful anger, "Don't you think I ought to get mad at you after telling my parents I was 'happy' when I woke up?!"

"But you were!" Sharpay whined, "C'mon Troy, don't you think it was just a little funny?"

"No, not at all!" Troy said, though he couldn't help but chuckle, which didn't go unnoticed by Sharpay, "And next time we sleep over at each other's house, I'd really appreciate it, if you didn't do that stuff in my dreams again. It may have felt good, but it's slightly disturbing."

"Yeah, I guess I'll try and don't invade your dreams, lover-boy." Sharpay said, studying her nails, deciding she needed a new manicure, "How's the love life then? Anything interesting?"

Troy let out a deep sigh, "You're my friend, right?"

"Of course I am, I'm nothing but, bad-boy."

"I just…" Troy trailed off, as Sharpay listened carefully, "I just don't think it's working out between me and Gabriella. I think we're too… I dunno, opposites. I really think she's a sweet girl, but I'm not _in_ love with her."

"So, tell her that." Sharpay shrugged, "I mean, if I started to only think of Zeke as a friend, I'd tell him. Or if I found someone else, y'know. It's not fair."

"I guess so…" Troy said, "I think I'm gonna talk to her, see where I leads."

"I'm proud of you." Sharpay told him, while giggling slightly, because he sent her a weird icon on the computer, "Gosh, you're so weird, Troy Bolton. Just a little weirdo."

"Takes one to know one."

* * *

_So yeah, I was quicker at updating this time, but it's because I'm still feeling like shit… I went to school though, but then some of my late classes got cancelled, so I was able to go home (: it was very nice! Haha XD and I already checked my timetable for next week, and I swear, half of my classes are cancelled already, so I'll probably be able to write a lot there!_

_Anyway, the embarrassing sex-talk is like… taken out of my own life. I had one pretty much like it with my ex-boyfriend's parents. His parents weren't quite as curious and stuff, they just really wanted to make sure we didn't make a baby, lol. Ah, it worked though, 'cuz I don't see me with a baby now :o _

_I don't own High School Musical, I'm juuuust a fan. _


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

**The End of Something Old**

"Yes, I know…" Sharpay mumbled, into the phone, as she stopped by her locker, to get her stuff, "I promise I'll be there, Tess."

"Really?" was Tessa's reply, from the other end of the line.

"Yes," Sharpay said, her voice hard, "Have I ever broken a promise to you? Look, I'll be there the minute I get off. I'll pick you up, and then we'll go get Ashlee from school, and have a girls day at the mall. I cleared everything with your mom. She says it's okay, if I just take care of you, and you know I will."

"Okay then," Tessa gave in, sighing, "I can't wait then. It's so boring being home, I can't wait to get back to school."

"I see," Sharpay nodded, just as her eyes caught Zeke, who was coming towards her, she shot him a quick smile, and turned back to her conversation, "I'll see you later then? I have to go."

"Fine," Tessa said, "See ya'."

"Bye," Sharpay said, closing her phone, and then stuffing it into her purse. She turned to look at Zeke, who had patiently been waiting for her. She offered him a big smile. It wasn't the first time they spoke since Saturday, but it was the first time it was face to face, "Hey…"

"Hey," he said, moving closer to her, as he placed his hands around her waist, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, "I've missed you… yesterday." He chuckled, planting a kiss on her lips.

"I missed you too." Sharpay told him, "I hung out with the ole Bolton. And he totally embarrassed me in front of his parents, but luckily I got him back for it!"

"That's great, Shar…" Zeke smiled, tracing small circles on her waist with his thumb, "Anyway, so I was meaning to ask you about the Talent Show this Friday? You participating?"

Sharpay smirked, "Don't you know it."

"Okay, because, my parents are coming to watch you!"

"Just me?" Sharpay questioned, using her heartbreaking smile, "They don't have to."

"Well, they want to." Zeke told her, kissing her lightly on the lips again, "So my mom told me to ask you to our house for dinner after… She wants to make this big thing, since my grandparents are in town, and they really wanna meet you too!"

"Meeting the family, I see?" Sharpay said arching her eyebrow to tease him, "Whatever are you planning on doing, Mr. Baylor?"

Zeke chuckled, before softly stroking a piece of her blonde hair out of her eyes, by the use of his thumb, "I dunno… But ah, what do I tell her? Are you free Friday night after the show?"

"Sure!" Sharpay enthusiastically smiled, as her face lit up, her brown eyes shining, "I'd love to come and, -oh…" she stopped, when she remembered what she did on Fridays. She couldn't just ditch Troy because her boyfriend offered something else, could she? It was an unspoken rule in their friendship. They always hung out on Fridays.

"What?" Zeke asked, suddenly looking worried, as his smiled faded off, "What? Are you doing something there? Can't you come?"

"It's just…" Sharpay said, locking eyes with him, as she made sure to stroke his neck reassuringly with her thumb, "Friday night is sorta my… Troy-night."

"Oh…" Zeke said, and Sharpay almost couldn't stand the look of disappointment he got on his face. It was too much for her to handle, she wanted him to feel good, "…I guess I'll just tell my mom some other time. And it'll tell granny she can meet you whenever."

"…no!" Sharpay stopped him, as he turned to leave, "No, don't tell them that. I'm sure Troy won't mind if I spend a Friday night with you instead of. It's not like I don't hang out with him enough. I'll love to be there, Zeke, I promise I will. I do. I'll be there."

He turned back to her, and scooped her thin frame into his arms, before planting a deep kiss on her lips. He put her back down again, and hugged her tight, "I love you so much, Shar. You're wonderful."

"Yeah," Sharpay said, hugging him back, though she could already feel the guilt from her decision washing over her, "Yeah, I love you too Zeke."

Oh, how to break it to Troy…

--

Troy was determined. Today was the day. He was gonna sit down with Gabriella after school, and have a nice conversation with her, about everything that was going on. He was gonna tell her that he couldn't date her anymore. That was it. He hated to do it, but he had to. It was better than leading her on, trying to believe that it could last. That was unfair, so he was gonna have to do it.

He was a bit disappointed, also. He didn't even get to talk to Sharpay before lunch. It was like, she magically disappeared or something. But then at lunch, when they were all just sitting there, eating, Sharpay and Zeke arrived together, hand in hand, and she was giggling like never before.

"They look happy." Taylor commented, as she took a bite of lettuce from her salad.

"They do," Chad agreed, as his eyes followed them to the lunch line. Sharpay was now kissing Zeke repeatedly on the lips, which was quite disturbing, since he was in the middle of his lunch too, "Did something happen?"

"Oh," Ryan said, as he got a smock smile on his face, and chuckled for a second, "Oh yeah. Sharpay's totally not a virgin anymore if you know what I mean?"

"_Ryan_," Troy said, as he wished they'd never brought this subject up to begin with, "Even the tables, the chairs and the _ceiling _know what you mean."

But no one seemed to listen to him, because Gabriella, Martha, Kelsi and Taylor broke into a chorused "Aaaw," like they'd never heard before. What was it with girls? Did they rehearse these things?

"Gosh…" Martha said, a smile on her lips, "They seem so in love, it's almost hard to look at."

"I know," Kelsi agreed, "We are so gonna have a girl-talk with Sharpay later, right chicas?"

"Of course!" Gabriella cheered, happily clapping her hands together, "Maybe we can go to her house after school or something?"

"No, Gabriella…" Troy quickly butted in, because this was his que, before she made plans, "I kinda need to be with you. Eh… yeah, we need to spend some time together." He added, unsure. He didn't want to say 'we need to talk' in front of all their friends. That'd be unfair to Gabriella, since she really hadn't done him anything.

Now the girls awed again, because they thought he was cute.

"Of course, Troy!" Gabriella giggled, planting a kiss on his cheek, "I'll never forget my boy. I'll spend time with you today. We can always girl-talk tomorrow."

Troy merely nodded, hating himself for being this way, and doing this to her, but he stopped thinking, when Sharpay and Zeke sat down by the table, lunch tray in hands. His breath literally hitched in his throat when his eyes caught Sharpay's figure. She was wearing a short, black, summer dress, and it flew around her thighs, and made her look extremely cute. Her hair was straightened down, and kept in place by a silver butterfly buckle, he remembered his mom giving her last Christmas.

"What's up, guys?" Sharpay smiled, as she reached for Troy's coke immediately, taking a sip from it – just like she always did.

"We heard that you and Zeke were up to no good." Kelsi giggled, eyeing Sharpay over the top of her glasses.

Sharpay turned to Troy, an angry glare in her eyes, but he pointed at Ryan, so the male twin hurried out of his seat, to get away from his sister's wrath. No one wanted to feel Sharpay's wrath.

Back at the table, Jason smacked Zeke on the back, "Way to go, dude!"

"Yeah, Zeke's the man!" Chad added, giving him a mainly shoulder clap as well.

Zeke just grinned goofily, and started to eat his food. Troy was fuming in his seat, but luckily no one really noticed. He hated even thinking about it. Just the thought that Zeke had slept with Sharpay made him so mad. He couldn't explain it, but it wasn't a feeling he liked very much. He would love it if it could go away, but unfortunately for him, it didn't seem like it would. He figured these feelings for Sharpay were here to stay or something.

"Well…" Taylor said, breaking his thoughts, "We better get going. The science lab is in the other end of the building."

"Right," Gabriella agreed, standing up. She turned to Troy and placed a sweet kiss on his lips, "I'll meet you at your car right after school's out, okay?"

"Deal," he said, offering her a small smile.

Gabriella giggled, and took off with Taylor, the two best friends linking their arms together. Troy just stared after her for a second, until he couldn't see her any longer. He didn't know what to do. He was so messed up inside. He really liked Gabriella, but if he could choose anyone he wanted, he'd choose Sharpay…

So he figured, why settle for second best?

--

"Gosh, it's so nice of you to take me out, Sharpay," Tessa said, as she relaxed more in the passengers seat, "I mean, I know mom's home all day just because of me, but it gets boring, because then she goes grocery shopping, and then she cleans and stuff. And I can just sit in my room. It's boring. This is gonna be fun."

"You sound like you've been at this for weeks!" Sharpay giggled, "It's only been a day…"

"Will you let me whine, please!?" Tessa shot back, faking anger.

"Yeah, yeah," Sharpay brushed her off, and turned back to their former subject, "Ashlee was excited about it too, the mall," she continued, as she kept her eyes on the road, keeping her mind on driving. She wasn't the best driver. She had barely managed to get her license, "And I'm gonna let her push your wheelchair, 'cuz I'm too lazy to do it."

"At least Ash is good for something then!" Tessa laughed, as she turned up for the stereo, because her favourite song by Alphabeat started playing. It was _The Fantastic 6._

Sharpay giggled along with her, as she drove into the school's parking lot, her pink convertible parading through all the 'ordinary' cars. School wasn't out yet, so they waited for the bomb to spring. As soon as the bell rang, a couple hundred kids would come running out like in those really bad movies. And it was only Monday.

As the school bell rang, Sharpay's vision came true. There were so many kids, excited about getting off, that Sharpay appreciated the fact that she didn't park right in front of the door. Her beloved car would have suffered a great deal. And it wasn't like Ashlee couldn't find them, because Sharpay's convertible, was the only pink car in the whole town.

It took about 5 minutes, and then Ashlee jumped in on the backseat, kissing both her big sister, and her best friend on their heads, "Hey guys, let's get shopping!"

"Hey Ash!" Tessa cheered, turning her head slightly to the side to look at her, while Sharpay drove off, "How was school? Is there any boring homework I have to do?"

"Our math teacher told me to tell you that you need to carry on alone, at home while you're sick." Ashlee said, "He said that if you didn't you'd lose too much, and wouldn't be able to follow us when you get back to school again."

"That makes sense!" Sharpay chipped in, as they got closer to the mall. She reached out and turned the volume down, so they'd be able to talk better.

"I think it's stupid!" Tessa said, crossing her arms. Well of course she'd think it was stupid, because it was her who had to do it.

Sharpay quickly ruffled Tessa's hair, just to annoy her, "Aw, you're a woman now, Tess. You better start acting like one."

"I'm not a woman!" Tessa argued, looking up at Sharpay with big blue eyes, "I'm only 11. I have a lot of years left until I'm grown up. You're 16, and you're not grown up, even though you're having crazy kinky sex with your boyfriend. That doesn't mean you're a grown up woman."

Ashlee let out a gasp, and Sharpay hit Tessa lightly on the arm.

"You did not just say that!" she said, briefly looking at her, "_Crazy kinky sex_… Gosh, how do you even know these words!?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, big sis," Ashlee said, sticking her head in between Sharpay and Tessa's, so she could see them both, "…'kids' our age, knows a lot more than they did when you were our age."

"…plus," Tessa added, throwing her an evil grin, "I live with a big sister, who's 22, and a hormonal big brother, you go figure."

"'Nough said." Sharpay just laughed, as she pulled into the parking lot at the mall, parking her pink car as close to the entrance that they could get. No need for them to push Tessa further than they had to.

Sharpay and Ashlee got out of the car, and fixed Tessa's wheelchair out too. Then they helped her into it, and got their purses and locked up the car. Then they headed for the mall. They didn't really have anything particularly in mind, to do, but they could always look at cute shoes, check out clothes, and head for the music shop, where they _knew_ they'd find some stuff they'd LOVE to buy.

"We're getting smoothies too," Ashlee reminded them, as she pointed at their favourite smoothie place. Not that there were that many different ones in their mall, but this one was by far the best – _Big Mama's Ice Cream Parlour_. You could get just about anything you liked in there, if it had something to do with ice cream. They spent a lot of time there, especially during their summer vacation. Sharpay brought the two girls practically everyday, and when they were younger, it was always Tatiana who brought all 3 of them.

"Of course we're getting smoothies," Sharpay giggled, as she turned direction towards her favourite music shop, the one who had all kinds of different music, also really old stuff, which she loved, "Le duh."

"Paypay," Tessa chipped from the wheelchair, which by Sharpay's request, Ashlee was pushing, "'Le duh', does _so_ not work for you. It works for us!"

"LE DUH!" the two girls cheered, and Sharpay rolled her eyes, before skipping ahead of them, just to annoy them.

--

As Troy made his way to his car, after getting some dirty clothes from his gym locker, he saw Gabriella already sitting on the hood of it, rocking from side to side, probably listening to her iPod.

He gently snuck up behind her, and placed his fingers on her sides, putting pressure onto her ribs, which made her break into a loud squeal, as she turned around and hit him on the arm.

"Don't do that again!" she said, breathing heavily.

He stuck out his lower lip, in a pout, "I'm sorry," he mumbled, helping her down, onto the ground, "I just couldn't resist."

"It's okay," she mumbled, and got into his car, as he unlocked it. He got in too, turning on the ignition, "I was so absorbed in this music. Weird thing is, it's actually very good."

"What is it?" Troy questioned her, driving out of the school's parking lot.

Gabriella let a faint blush creep into her cheeks, before softly replying; "Alphabeat." She paused, and got all defensive, "Sharpay showed it to me. I didn't really want to listen to it, 'cuz I figured it had to be weird, but then I bought the CD anyway… please don't tell her!"

Troy chuckled softly, but couldn't help but think how weird she was. Just because she had said to Sharpay she didn't want to listen to her music, and then went out and bought the CD, she didn't want her to know. She couldn't admit her own mistakes, or her own flaws. Sharpay couldn't either, but that was in an extremely cute, adorable way. Gabriella's way was just plain annoying.

A silence fell upon them, as Troy decided to drive towards the park instead. They could find a bench, and he could try and tell her this in a civil way. He really hoped she wouldn't freak out and hate him forever. He couldn't take it if she did.

"_Oh no, Don't you touch my boyfriend, He's not your boyfriend, He's mine_…" Gabriella softly sang, still absorbed in the song, "_Oh no, Don't you touch my boyfriend, He's not your boyfriend, He's mine…_"

Troy finally found a place to park his car, so he did, and got out, helping Gabriella too. She looked questionably at him, and he shot her a cute smile, "Wait for it."

He grabbed her hand, and started to almost drag her towards the park, and she quickened her pace, to follow him.

"What are we doing here, Troy?" she asked him, her eyes big. She was curious, not mad or angry, just curios.

He gently pushed her down on the nearest bench, and sat down too, "We need to talk."

As soon as the words left his lips, Gabriella's face fell, and all the colour drained from it, and he realized, he might not have broken the news to her in the best way. She seemed extremely sad and she looked almost heartbroken that instant. She looked down at her hands, and then up at him again, "I – What, Troy? Are you breaking up with me?"

He let out a deep breath, and softly took her hands in his, "Yes, Gabriella… I'm sorry. It's not you, it's me!"

She quickly yanked her hands away from his, and scooted back, until she couldn't get farther away from him, without falling from the bench, "Why?" she questioned, as tears started welling up in her brown eyes, "What Troy? Is there something wrong with me? Was it something I did? What?"

"No, Gabby!" Troy said, trying to get closer to her again, but she simply stood up from the bench, "It's me, I already said that! You're perfect, you're wonderful, and pretty… but… I just don't – I just don't think it's the same as it used to be."

"You like someone else, huh?" she said, biting her lip slightly, "Yeah you do. Who is it?"

"It's not important Gabby!" Troy quickly said, standing up as well, to try and calm her down, somehow. She seemed really shaken. Her body was shaking, and tears were streaming down her pale cheeks. He couldn't believe that he was the reason she felt like that, and was so broken, right that moment.

"I know who it is…" Gabriella whispered to herself, more than to him, "It's Sharpay, your purposely best friend. But she's not just a friend. You've been lying to me all along!" she angrily kicked the bench next to her, and turned to him again, "I hate you, Troy Bolton!"

"I'm sorry!" Troy just offered, because he was seriously shocked. She went from one second to another, from a broken girl, to something Troy had never thought he'd see in Gabriella.

"WHY?!" she yelled at him, "Why am I not good enough? Is it because I'm not blonde? Do I need to dye my hair? What, Troy? _I love you_." she paused and sniffed for a second, "What did I do wrong? I just loved you…"

"I'm sorry…" he tried again, this time managing to wrap his arms around her shaking shoulders, "I'm sorry Gabriella. And there's nothing wrong with you, don't think that. You can't change your appearance, you're beautiful. You're just not it for me… You're… Gabriella. You're you. Please, please say you don't hate me?"

"I hate you, Troy Bolton…" Gabriella whispered, pushing him away from herself.

Troy let out a deep breath, and figured she was probably too tired and worn out to do anything right now. They should probably just go home, "Do you want me to take you home?" he offered, pulling out his car keys.

"I don't need your charity." She told him, stubbornly stomping her foot into the ground.

"It's not charity, it's being polite." Troy said, and grabbed her by the arm, to get her to go with him, to his car, "And I'm taking you home. No need to discuss this."

She didn't resist much, but she didn't speak to him either. None of them said another word, and when he stopped by her house, she just got out of the car, and went towards her front door. On the way there, she stopped by the trashcan, and ripped her iPod out of her jeans pocket, and threw it right in there. Then she angrily shot him another glare, and went inside, smacking the door.

Troy let out a deep sigh, and got out of the car. He headed for the trashcan, and fixed her iPod out of there, which he knew she'd thank him for later. As he pulled it up, his eyes caught the display, and his heart skipped a beat by the song that was playing there.

_The Start of Something New_.

--

Sharpay looked up from her math assignment, as the Messenger rang. She happily skipped over there, and caught Troy through his window. He smiled at her, and she waved at him, before taking the little note out of there. She happily unfolded it, and smiled at the words.

_We barely got to talk today. I think I said hi to you, eh? Do you want me to call you, or are you getting off your lazy butt to call me? _

She quickly ducked away from the window, and scribbled her reply down there, before putting the little note, beneath the ribbon of the package she bought for him. Then she placed it in the Messenger, and pulled the string, so Troy could get his note.

She then threw herself onto her bed, with her cell phone in hand, just to wait for his call. When he finally did, she picked it up without hesitation.

"Hey," she smiled, as she turned onto her stomach, to lie better.

"_Fairly Odd Parents _boxers?" Troy questioned, with a chuckle, "Really?"

"Aha," Sharpay just giggled, nodding her head even though he couldn't see her.

"You're weird, Sharpay Evans," Troy mumbled, "But I love you still. How was the trip to the mall?"

"It was fun," Sharpay told him, with a smile on her lips, "We got smoothies, I bought a new pair of shoes, and four new CD's."

"Hmm, why does that not surprise me?" Troy questioned, just to annoy her.

"Shut up!" Sharpay mumbled, but giggled nonetheless, "…how was your afternoon anyway? Boring, 'cuz I wasn't there, ay?"

"Of course, baby," Troy mumbled, "… ah, no, I broke up with Gabriella."

"YOU WHAT!?" Sharpay shrieked, sitting up in bed, because of the huge news, "Seriously? You really did it?"

"Yeah," Troy just said. He didn't sound so depressed or sad, she noticed. He sounded more… worried.

"What did she say?" Sharpay asked, "I mean? Did she totally freak out, or was she okay with it? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, yeah." Troy told her, "It was my decision after all, I've thought it through. But Gabriella, God, she was like… so worked up, and she cried, and kicked, and well yeah, I guess she didn't take it that well. I think she hates me now."

"Aw, you poor thing." Sharpay said, as she got up from the bed, and made her way towards the window, so she could see into his room. He was standing in his window as well, so she waved at him, "You want me to come over, and make you feel better? I can always give you one of my famous backrubs?"

"It's okay," Troy smiled, as his eyes caught hers, "I'm fine, thank you though. I'll see what she's up to tomorrow. Maybe I can talk things over with her. But if she hates me, she'll probably end up shaving my hair off or something."

"Oh no!" Sharpay pouted, "Not the hair… I love the hair."

"I love your hair too, _fake blonde – cough, cough – fake_."

"Y'know?" she said, as she shot him an angry glare, "If I had been there now, I would have so punched you in the face. I look better as a blonde, and you know it."

"Yeah, okay," Troy agreed, because it was the truth. She did look hotter and more grown-up with her blonde hair, "Anyways… I'll go to bed now, I'm so tired after breaking Gabriella's heart."

"Yeah, I bet you feel real bad." Sharpay sarcastically replied, before shutting her phone off, with a snap of her fingers.

Troy shot her a weird look through the windows, before breaking into a grin, where she followed. Then she blew him a kiss and did the secret sign for 'I love you'.

She went back to her math assignment, and ten seconds later, her phone bibbed, and she opened a new text message from **The Troy-Boy :o **

…_I love you too x3 _

it read.

* * *

_I'm SO, SO, SO, SO, SO, SO sorry about the delay, guys! I really am! I mean it, I couldn't be more sorry! I had the first part written for awhile, but then I didn't know how to do the break-up, so I was kinda stuck. I got over it though, thanks for sticking with me XD I'll try and write the next chapter more quicker. I really will. _

_Music used; Ocean Blue and The Fantastic 6 – both by Alphabeat. _


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

**Selfish Jerk!**

As Troy entered the school, the next day, he carefully looked around, trying to see if Gabriella was near him. Not that he was really afraid of her, but he didn't want to have a huge fight in front of everybody. He didn't know if she was going to completely ignore him, or if she was going to get angry with him again.

Plus, he really feared if she was going to tell Sharpay about her 'thoughts', and causes of his break up with her. If she did, who knew how Sharpay would react? Chances were she was gonna freak out, and not speak to him, or maybe she'd just laugh it off, or maybe, just maybe, she'd put two and two together, and figure out that he was hopelessly in love with her.

And her didn't want that. Who would? C'mon, that was something he should tell her herself when he decided that time was right. And time was definitely not right now. Because he just broke up with his first serious girlfriend. And Sharpay… Well, she was all happily, having sex, all in love with Zeke. So that'd just ruin it for her, and God, he didn't want to do that.

He stopped by his locker, to get out the books he needed first. No one was really there yet, but there were a few people around. Jason and Kelsi were hanging out by the end of the hall, by Kelsi's locker. Troy didn't know why the two of them didn't get together soon. Maybe they needed a push or something, because they were driving the others mad by all this… going around, sending small glances at each other, all day.

He turned, as he heard the double doors smack, and was happy to see Sharpay come through them, with Ryan in tow. She threw a few 'moves', and then ended next to him, jumping onto him, giving him a huge hug.

Troy never really understood Sharpay in school. She could be so mean and manipulating towards people around campus, except a few selected ones. She was nice to them, and it was their group of friends. Nothing really happened to 'make' her the Ice Princess, she just was. That was how she treated people, except the ones she really loved and cared about. And Troy was really happy she had accepted his friends into the circle, or else it would have made things really uncomfortable.

"Hey…" she mumbled, kissing his cheek, leaving a trail of lip gloss behind, it was cherry, he noticed, "Are you okay? I was so sorry I wasn't there, I hope the phone call was enough? Do you need to talk, do you need a hug? My arms are open Troy-boy!"

"I'm okay, Paypay," he assured her, squeezing her tight nonetheless, "I really am, but thanks for caring."

"Aaw, you don't look okay!" she continued, brushing her fingers lovingly against his cheeks.

"I am, I really am." Troy kept saying, "It was my decision to break up with Gabriella. Of course it's weird to be single again, but it was for the better. I'm fine, Paypay, I'm telling you."

Sharpay pulled a little away from him, and studied his face close, as if to see if he was right, if he was telling the truth. Her brown eyes ran over his features, and locked with his blue eyes for just a second, before she cracked a grin.

"Fine then," she said, and patted his cheek, "I'll see you later, Troy."

Troy just grinned goofily as she turned around, and happily skipped down the hall to meet Zeke.

--

After school, Tessa and Sharpay took a walk in the park, Sharpay pushing Tessa's wheelchair. Lucy had told Sharpay (when she stopped by to give Troy is iPod, only to realize he wasn't home) that Tessa really needed fresh air everyday. So Sharpay had taken the task upon herself, at least for today, to make sure Tessa did go outside.

A nice stroll in the park was not a bad idea. They could walk for a bit, get some ice cream, and then sit down and eat it. The two of them could talk to each other about practically everything, and Sharpay really enjoyed Tessa's company. At times, she seemed more mature than some of her friends did.

Sharpay bought two ice creams, and sat down on a bench, Tessa in the wheelchair right next to her. She handed Tessa her ice cream, which was chocolate and caramel, while she happily licked away on her own one, which was strawberry and vanilla.

"Thanks…" Tessa smiled, licking her ice cream too, "It's nice of you to spend so much time with me, Sharpay. You really don't have to."

"Oh, but I want to." Sharpay assured her, as she reached into her pocket for her pink iPod Shuffle. She handed Tessa's an earpiece, and took the other one herself, before turning it on, "I actually enjoy spending time with you, Tess. Don't think I don't."

Tessa shot her a huge smile, "I love you, Paypay. You're the coolest."

"You're pretty cool yourself!" Sharpay just shot back, as _When the Stars Go Blue _by Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton came on, and she happily sighed, "I really love this song. It's my current obsession… I think."

Tessa giggled for a second, before asking, "So? Found out what to do with your Talent Show song yet? I don't think Troy found anything, but y'know? It's soon. Four days, and you have to rehearse too."

"I can sing whenever." Sharpay replied, shrugging slightly, "I mean, I have a few ideas, but it'll probably be right before the show, that I chose completely. We'll see. You're coming, right?"

"Of course!" Tessa exclaimed, surprised Sharpay could even ask that question, "I have to watch my brother, y'know! And you of course, but don't tell him that."

Sharpay broke into a laugh, and licked her lips slightly, "You had an idea or what?"

"Huh?"

"Did you have an idea for a song for me, or something?" Sharpay asked, glancing at her, "I mean, since you asked?"

"Well…" Tessa trailed off slightly, before blushing a little, "I did have a song in mind. I've bee thinking about it, and I figured your voice would sound amazing with it, so if you didn't have a song, I'd let you know."

"Well, what song is it?" Sharpay asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Ah… please don't laugh!" Tessa said, holding one of her hands out, to indicate that she really meant it, "It's kinda silly, and you probably don't want to, but ah… Emily Osment: _I Don't Think About It_. It's actually a very good song."

Sharpay was still for a moment, as she let the suggestion sink in. Then she turned to Tessa and smiled happily, "Okay. I'll think about it."

Tessa got a huge smile on her face, as she licked her ice cream again, humming happily along to Sharpay's iPod.

--

Troy took another deep breath, as he sat in his car, staring at the front door to Gabriella's house. He really needed to speak to her. She'd avoided him completely all day at school, and the others figured what had happened, if they didn't know before. But he was seriously nervous about Gabriella telling Sharpay about the cause of their break up – his feelings. He couldn't let her know, he just couldn't. So he needed to convince Gabriella to not tell her.

He wasn't sure how all this was gonna work out for him, but at least he needed to try.

He finally got his courage together, and opened his car door, to get out. He closed it behind him with a smack, and crossed the lawn, ringing the doorbell. Mrs. Montez was probably home, but he really needed to do this.

He was right. Mrs. Montez opened the door with a smile, but it faded as soon as she saw him, "Oh, Troy." She mumbled, biting her lip slightly, "I don't really think it's a good idea if you go see Gabby. She's, she's busy, yeah."

"I really need to speak to her, Mrs. Montez." Troy said, his voice almost begging, "I'm not going to hurt her further, we just need to talk things over."

Mrs. Montez seemed to think about it for a second or two, before she opened the door completely, to let him in, "Go on up, you know where it is." She told him.

"Thank you, Mrs. Montez," Troy told her, as he slipped his shoes off, and then he hurried up the stairs, and down the hall. He paused in front of Gabriella's door. He lifted his closed fist up, and gently knocked.

The faint, "Come in," from the other side of the door, was Troy's que, so he opened the door slowly, and stepped inside. Gabriella's face fell when she saw it was him, and she turned to face her TV, ignoring him.

"I thought we needed to talk?" Troy tried to suggest, while he fiddled with his fingers.

"I have nothing to say to you," Gabriella stated, her face lit up by the colours coming from the TV screen, "I don't even get what you're doing here, Troy?"

"I need to speak to you," Troy said, his voice more firm, as he crossed the room, and turned her TV off, then turned to face her, "Don't ignore me, this is important, Gabriella!"

"Fine," she mumbled, crossing her arms, as she stubbornly looked him in the eye, "What do you need to speak to me about, Troy? Here to break my heart even more? I _Goddamnit_ loved you!"

"I loved you too, Gabriella," Troy assured her, his voice soft and gentle, "But I fell for someone else, it's nothing you can stop. I wished I hadn't fallen for her, Gabriella, but I did. And I just – I couldn't lead you on, it wouldn't be fair to either of us."

"But why?" she asked, tears visible in her eyes again, because it hurt her that much, "What does she have that I don't? I just want to know Troy? Is it because I'm not blonde? It is, isn't it? You jocks have always preferred blonde bombshells."

"No, Gabriella!" Troy quickly said, stopping her rambling. He sat down next to her on the bed, and forced her to look him in the eye, "You're perfect just the way you are. You're amazing. You're sweet, smart and beautiful. You're the perfect girl. Just not the perfect girl for me."

"But why can't I be?" she questioned, as her eyes got soft, and she became really vulnerable.

"Because that's not the way it works, Gabriella." Troy told her, stroking her chin lightly, "I just wanted you to know that I care about you, _so much_. I wish we could be friends still, but I completely understand it if you don't want to."

"I just-" she stopped and seemed to think about her words for a second, before continuing, "I just don't think I … _can_, Troy. I can't be friends with you, knowing how you broke my heart, and I can't be friends with _her_, knowing that she's the reason for my heartbreak as well. I just – I just _can't_."

"Well, I'm sorry…" Troy whispered, as he fiddled with the bedding – there was a lose hem, "I wished you didn't feel that way."

"Yeah well…"

"Anyway," Troy continued on, to the real reason he was there, to the reason why he even dared to knock on her front door, "I was going to ask you a favour."

Gabriella's eyes widened in surprise. _Of course_, he was going to ask her for a favour, why else would he be there? The reason for his presence was all selfish, "Really?" she just chipped.

"Well yeah…" Troy trailed off, nervously shooting her an insecure smile, "I just… I wanted to ask you not to tell Sharpay about my feelings for her. Because I know she's happily in love with Zeke, and she's my best friend so I don't want to ruin it for her. Plus, if she knows… our friendship won't be the same again. And I really love her, so I don't want to lose her."

"You're asking me not to ruin something… there's the cause of my own heartbreak?" Gabriella said, as she broke into a full belly laugh, "God Troy, you crack me up sometimes."

"Huh?" he asked, really confused.

"Why _wouldn't_ I tell her?" Gabriella asked, moving an inch away from him on the bed, "Do I look stupid to you? Of course I'm gonna tell her. I was going to wait awhile, but by the looks of things, tomorrow seems like a great idea."

Troy's eyes widened in surprise, and he reached his hand out to take Gabriella's, but she moved further away from him, "Please, Gabriella…" he said, begging, "I don't want to hurt her, I don't want to put myself out there, because I know I'll get turned down. Please…"

She leaned closely in, and looked him in the eye, "Then you know how it feels… Don't you?"

Troy let out a deep sigh, and quickly got off the bed, leaving the room. As the door smacked close behind him, Gabriella scoffed,

"Selfish jerk!"

--

Sharpay and Tessa were getting ready to leave. They'd finished their ice cream a half hour ago, and now they needed to go home. Sharpay had tons of homework she needed to look at, so she really didn't need to waste too much time hanging around with Tessa. Not that she didn't enjoy it, she loved it.

She started slowly pushing Tessa towards the house again, when suddenly Tessa squealed and waved at a person a few feet away from them, who waved back.

"Who's that?" Sharpay asked, as she watched the person come closer, only to realize it was a boy.

"That guy I told you about!" Tessa whispered, as he came into earshot.

"Hey Tess!" he said, stopping in front of them, a smile on his lips.

"Hey David!" Tessa cheered, as a faint blush came onto her cheeks, "That's Sharpay, she's Troy's best friend, and Ashlee's sister of course."

"Yeah, of course," David smiled, "Nice to meet you."

"You too." Sharpay replied, as she studied Tessa's face closer. She looked totally giddy and all lovey-dovey, Sharpay almost couldn't believe it. It was so weird to see her almost-little sister like that. It was a new experience.

"Anyway, when are you coming back to school, I miss you." David asked, shyly winking at her.

"Oh…" Tessa looked taken aback for a minute, so Sharpay gently nudged her on the shoulder, to get her speaking again, "Oh! I – I'm back as soon as mamma dearest let me. I dunno when that'll be, but y'know? I do enjoy sitting at home, doing nothing, though it's boring not seeing you guys."

"I can always stop by one day, and take you out." David offered, "Go for ice cream or whatever."

"I'd really like that," Tessa smiled, and Sharpay could almost hear her squeal in delight on the inside, while her heart was beating like crazy. It was funny how well she knew Tessa.

"Fine, I'll stop by sometime." David said, before he leaned down and hugged her. Then he said bye to Sharpay and ran back to his friends.

"Oh my God!" Tessa squealed, when he was far enough away, and Sharpay couldn't help but chuckle, when she started to push her again, "That was amazing! He said he'd stop by! That's like… awesome!"

"Y'know honey," Sharpay said, as she kept pushing her, "I'd take back the stuff you said about being friends first, if I were you. He really likes you. You should go for it."

"You really think he likes me?" Tessa questioned, an eyebrow raised.

"Duh," Sharpay just said, as they made their way out of the park, and towards their street, "Of course not in the God-you're-hot-I-gotta-have-sex-with-you-kinda way, because you're too young. I just think he really thinks you're sweet."

Tessa sweetly giggled as she could see her house coming closer. After all, they lived like, 5 minutes away from the park, "I really like him too."

"That's great," Sharpay said, and she really meant it. She went around the house to use the kitchen door, which was easier with Tessa in a wheelchair. Her crutches stood right there, so she got out of the chair, and supported herself.

"Thanks for this afternoon, it was fun." She said, as she tried to hug Sharpay the best she could.

Sharpay hugged her back, and kissed her hair, "You're welcome. I'll see ya' soon, okay?"

"Okay, bye."

"Bye," Sharpay said, as she turned around and left the house.

--

"I don't get this one!" Ashlee argued, as she angrily threw her pencil next to her math homework, and looked up at her sister, "I won't ever get it, so stop trying to teach me!"

"Math is not my favourite subject either, Ashlee," Sharpay reasoned, as she forced the pencil back in Ashlee's hand, "I hate it too, but you gotta learn how to do math, or else you won't get anywhere in this world. You really need it when you grow up."

"But…" Ashlee mumbled, as she looked down at the paper beneath her, "It's all jumbled. It doesn't look like numbers. Am I stupid, Paypay? I'm the only one who can't read yet in the class."

Sharpay leaned back in her chair, and seemed to think about that for awhile, before furrowing her brow, "Two seconds, I'll get Ryan to help you, I need to make a phone call, fine?"

"Yeah, okay." Ashlee said, as her head hung low.

Sharpay pushed her chair back, and stood up, "It's not your fault, sweetie," she said, and kissed her head, before skipping into the living room, where she told Ryan that Ashlee needed his help. He got up without objections, and Sharpay grabbed her cell phone from the coffee table, and sat down on the couch, dialling her father's cell phone number.

It didn't take him long to pick up, "Sharpay, darling?"

"Hi daddy!" she cheered, happily pulling her legs up under herself, as she got more comfortable, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, Princess," Richard said, "You mother and I are just eating dinner at this restaurant. Tonight is off. No meetings or anything."

"That's great, daddy!" Sharpay smiled, as she turned on the TV to watch while she spoke with him.

"Yeah, that's pretty great, so how are things at home?" Richard asked, interesting in his kids' lives, "Everything good? Have you been with Lucy and Jack much?"

"A lot," Sharpay assured him, "They make sure we're doing fine. But I actually needed to speak to you guys about Ashlee. Can you put mom and speak phone, even though you're at the restaurant?"

"Of course," Richard told her, as he clicked the button, "We're at a secluded table in the back."

"Hey mommy." Sharpay cheered.

"Hi honey," Viola said, "What's up with Ash?"

"Well…" Sharpay trailed off, not really sure about how to put it, "I was doing her homework with her, y'know, math, and she didn't get it. She got all worked up and told me that her words and numbers are all jumbled. So I was afraid something might be wrong with her.. But then I figured it could be dyslexia. What do you think?"

"It could be," Richard said, as he seemed to think about it, "Maybe it is. What can you do about that?"

"I don't know," Viola answered, and she sounded quite worried.

"Me neither," Sharpay chipped in, "But we should probably talk to her teacher about it when you guys get back."

"Yeah, we probably should." Viola agreed.

"When do you get back anyway?" Sharpay then asked, hoping it was soon. She really missed her parents when they were gone, which they were most of the time. They were rarely home, and she knew it was the key to their success, and the fact that they have more money than most people, but it was still sad.

"Well…" Richard trailed off, "We were gonna do it as a surprise, but I guess we can tell you…"

"We're coming home Friday at noon, to be able to watch you guys in the Talent Show!" Viola said, and Sharpay literally dropped her jaw, "So I guess we can speak with Ashlee's teacher there, because we're leaving again already Saturday."

"Oh… So you're leaving again?" Sharpay sad, already sad about the fact, "But that you're here; that's great! I'm not home after the show though, 'cuz I'm going to Zeke's house."

"But I thought Fridays were your Troy nights."

"Yeah, well…" Sharpay trailed off, "Anyway, I can't wait to see you guys again! It's gonna be great. But I'm going to run now, by the sounds coming from the kitchen, I think Ashlee is killing Ryan. I'll talk to you guys soon, again, okay?"

"Yes, I love you honey," Viola said.

"Me too." Richard added.

Sharpay giggled, "Bye," and hung up the phone. She stood up and went into the kitchen again, taking a seat too, "How's it going, guys?"

"We need your help now." Ryan mumbled, as he handed her a pencil, "Algebra's so not my thing."

Sharpay moved closer to Ashlee, and started showing her how to do it, just as her phone rang. She let Ryan pick it up, as she didn't want to stop helping her sister. She could hear Ryan speak to whoever was on the phone, but she tried to block it out, that was of course until Ryan took the phone down, and turned to her, a smile on his lips;

"Troy on the phone, Shar."

Sharpay immediately placed her pencil on the table, grabbed her phone, and went into the living room, to speak with Troy.

* * *

_So yeah. I was a bit quicker with this update, was I not? Haha XD I hope this chapter was great. I did a little more Sharpay/Tessa- stuff, and cleared up a few things with Gabriella. Plus, I thought it'd be nice to actually show you guys that Richard and Viola Evans were actually alive, lol! I'm trying to get a few smaller story-lines up and running to keep you guys interested until I get closer to the main plot. I have the next few chapters lined out, so that's enough to keep me going for now. No Troypay-love yet, I'm sorry, but it will come. _

_I Don't Think About It by Emily Osment is awesome, or am I the only one who thinks that? And When The Stars Go Blue by Bethany Joy Lenz and Tyler Hilton is my current obsession, just as Sharpay's. I really love that song, I listen to it all the time. _


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

**I Don't Believe You**

"So?" Tatiana questioned, as they crossed the road, going for the park, while picking up speak, "How's life there, little brother?"

"It's okay," Troy mumbled, as he fiddled with his iPod to turn the volume down. He could hear Sharpay had borrowed it, and his computer, because half her music was on it. She always did that, even though she had like, three iPods on her own. And they were all much cooler than his. But she said she liked the colour blue, for some odd reason, and she always used his, instead of her own pink one.

"Just okay?" Tatiana asked, as she slowed down again, getting her breath down – they were only warming up before getting a game going in their backyard, "It's supposed to be super-duper fantastic, Troy. How come it's only 'okay'?"

"Ah… It's stressing, really." Troy told her, sending her a goofy smile, "I haven't really had time to play b-ball these last days, 'cuz dad's been busy, and the team goofs off when he isn't there. I really need it to relax though, this game with you is a gift from God, really."

"God, you say? I thought it was a gift from your unbelievable, amazingly gorgeous sister." Tatiana joked, mirroring his own goofy grin. It was the Bolton-charm, and the three kids had gotten it from their father. No wonder they knew how to wrap everyone around their fingers.

"Shut up, T!" Troy said, as he finally found one of his own work-out-songs, so he knew what pace to set, "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, yeah…" Tatiana brushed him off, as she checked her watch to see how much time they had left. She had things to do. She was working at the local McDonald's from 6-10pm on Wednesdays, so she had to be in the shower by 5. That still gave them an hour and a half, so they probably needed to get back soon, so they'd actually have time to play, "…how about we go back now?"

"Sure," Troy mumbled, as he thought of a way, "We'll cross the lawn, and go through the parking spot behind Wendy's, and then down the street?"

"Bright idea, little brother!" Tatiana cheered, as she turned half around, and started crossing the grass.

They ran in silence for a few minutes. Tatiana was just listening to the birds, while watching their route, and her brother. It didn't really surprise her that the girls all adored him, because she knew he was cute. Troy was just listening to the beats of the music, which made it all easier for him when he was running. His father had never understood that when he was younger, because he didn't have good rhythm, but Troy did, so it helped him an awful lot.

Tatiana softly breathed in, and decided to break the silence, "How's it with you and Sharpay?"

Troy looked up at her again, and arched an eyebrow, "Me and Sharpay? It's okay, I guess. Nothing going on, really. I haven't spoken to her much this week. I called her last night, seems like Ashlee might have dyslexia. Sharpay was kinda worried, and wanted to talk to me in school, but we both have so much going on, that we didn't even have time."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Troy…" Tatiana said, as they finally came onto the street, and only had like, one street left before they were home, "I know how much you like her, maybe you just need to tell her?"

"I can't just tell her!" Troy argued, biting his lip, "She's all happy with Zeke! I don't want to ruin it for her!"

"But don't you think she could be happy with you as well?" Tatiana asked, as they turned the corner, and could see their house by the end of the street, next to the Evans' big mansion, which was probably three times as big as theirs, "And it'd make you, happy. And even if she turned you down, you'd feel better."

"But I don't wanna ruin anything between us," Troy said, as he slowed down to a walking tempo, making his way around the house, to the backyard court, "I mean… she's my best friend, and I really love her, T. She's like… my everything. I know it sounds weird, but she's just amazing."

Tatiana giggled, as she picked up a basketball, and threw it to her brother, "I know. Sharpay is pretty cool. And she's funny. Mom and dad love her. She can sing, and act, and she's good in school. She treats your little sister like a cool friend. Who wouldn't want her to date you?"

"You're weird, T," Troy mumbled, as he took a shot, and the ball got right through, "You really are."

--

Sharpay looked up from the couch, and found Ryan looking at her through the door into the TV-room. He was looked kinda worried, like he had a lot on his mind. He had seemed stressed these last couple of days as well, she had noticed that. But her busy life got in the way, and she didn't get to talk to him. She wished she had done that now though, because he looked really sad.

"What's up, Ry?" she asked, as she turned the TV off, "Come sit down and talk to me?"

Ryan nodded, and crossed the room, taking a seat next to her. He offered her a smile, and she hugged him for a good two minutes, before kissing his cheek affectionately.

"What's wrong, Ryan?" she asked, taking his hand, "You can tell me? You can tell me everything…"

"I dunno…" he said, fidgeting with his hands. She could tell he had no idea how to put his words together, he was never one to fidget, "I'm…" he paused, and thought it over, "I'm feeling… weird."

"Weird?" Sharpay questioned, arching her eyebrow slightly, "How, weird?"

"Just…" he stopped again, and closed his eyes for a second, as he breathed out, "Do you ever feel like you're different? That you're not normal."

"I'm not normal," Sharpay said, shrugging lightly, "That's all a part of being fabulous. And how do you define 'normal' anyway?"

"Well…" Ryan said, trailing off, "I feel different, like something's wrong with me. Sharpay, I think I might be-"

He was cut off by the doorbell, and Sharpay shot him a sorry look, before rushing out to open, while he buried his head in the nearest pillow and screamed. Sharpay hated whoever was on the other side of the door. Ryan was just about to tell her what was up, and then they got interrupted. Bad timing, much?

She opened the door, and almost lost her jaw, when she saw Gabriella on the other side, "…hi! Hi, Gabriella!" she then said, and nodded her head a bit, "What are… what are you doing here?"

Gabriella shot her a smile, "I want to talk to you!" she said, in Sharpay's opinion, a bit too cheery.

"Now's not… now's not a very good time, Gabriella." Sharpay said, holding the doorknob so hard, that she could feel her knuckles turning white, "I'm kinda… in the middle of something."

"Really?" Gabriella asked, suspiciously looking into the hallway, not that Sharpay got why, but she did, "You don't have 5 minutes for me?"

Sharpay let out a deep breath, and thought of Ryan in the living room; her brother, who really needed her help. But then again, she looked at Gabriella, the girl who had just gotten her heart broken, and decided that spending a few minutes on her, wouldn't do any harm. She'd always be able to get Ryan to open up later, she was sure of it.

"Come on in, then…" she trailed off, opening the door up fully, to let Gabriella pass through, which she did. Sharpay closed the door behind her, and offered the Latino another smile, "Do you want anything? Just make yourself comfortable in the kitchen, I have to go for a minute to talk to Ryan, okay?"

Gabriella quietly nodded, and headed off to the direction she knew the kitchen was in. Sharpay watched her back, until she turned the corner, and then she rushed into the living room, to find Ryan lying down, a pillow covering his face. She took a step closer, and lifted it, smiling sweetly at him, when he opened his eyes.

"Gabriella's here." She told him, sending him the 'I'm sorry'-look, "I gotta go talk to her, I have no idea what she wants… Can we continue this talk after? I promise, I'll listen to you, Ry."

He looked disappointed, and it almost broke her heart, "Yeah, yeah… Go do what you gotta do…"

She leaned down and kissing his cheek, "Again, I'm sorry," she reassured him, before she skipped into the kitchen, where she found Gabriella sitting on the counter, awkwardly looking around, as if she felt self conscious, "Want anything to drink?"

"It would be nice," Gabriella mumbled, not daring to look her in the eye.

Sharpay nodded, and opened the fridge, getting out two cold sodas. She placed one in front of Gabriella, and sat down on the other side of the counter, opening her own, "So, I heard about you and Troy. I'm really sorry."

"Yeah, I bet." Gabriella replied, opening up her own soda, as she watched Sharpay's every move.

Sharpay was a bit taken aback of Gabriella's tone. She didn't recall talking to someone that way, when she was guest in their house. She decided not to comment on it though, she just sipped her soda again, and placed it back on the counter, "So, what did you want anyway? I bet you're net here for pleasure."

"Well, yeah," Gabriella said, tracing the lines in the wooden counter, with her nail, "It's… about, Troy. Yeah, I just- I think you need to know. I mean, I'm still hurt by him, and I just want to make sure that you never get hurt in the same way as I did. I know we haven't been the best of friends and all… but we're girls, and we stick together, right?"

Sharpay shrugged, "I guess."

"So yeah, that's why I'm here." Gabriella finished, looking up at her.

"Then tell me…" Sharpay said, still watching her every move. She didn't understand what this was all about. She didn't date Troy, it wasn't like he was gonna break her heart. They fought a lot, and she was immune towards it, because they always made up again.

"It's kinda difficult…" Gabriella mumbled, giggling beneath her breath, "I mean… I don't want you to feel weird around Troy or I, but ah… I think it needs to be done."

"Is it something about my friendship with Troy?" Sharpay question, "'Cuz y'know, we are only friends. I have no idea why he broke up with you, he didn't tell me. I don't think there's someone else either, Gabby. I just think, he's… tired of it all. He probably needs space. Maybe in a month or so, he'll regret it, and want you back."

"Oh, he won't," Gabriella said, letting out a hollow laugh, "He told me clearly that he was in love with someone else."

"Oh really?" Sharpay asked, immediately feeling disappointed by that fact. How come he'd tell his ex-girlfriend that he was in love with another girl, but not his best friend? Something seemed awfully wrong about that. And it hurt her, if it was the truth. But she wasn't quite sure if she should believe Gabriella. She had never really liked her that much. Not after she stole her part as Minnie in the _Twinkle Town Musical_.

"Yeah," Gabriella said, shooting her a look that Sharpay didn't exactly know how to read, "And the strange thing was…" she said, as she leaned in closer, "…he said he was in love with … _you_."

It took a moment for Sharpay to let the words get through, but when they did, she let out a laugh. That was just _funny._ Troy? In love with her!? Gabriella just cracked her up. Seriously, that was funny. Gabriella was probably only doing this to screw up their friendship, so she didn't care much for that. But _still_, it was funny as hell.

"What?" Gabriella said, looking perplexed as Sharpay, since she just laughed, "What? What's so funny?"

"You!" Sharpay giggled, breathing out, "Seriously, Gabriella. That was a good joke. You're funny."

"It's not a joke, Sharpay," Gabriella said, shaking her head in disbelief, "I meant it. He told me, clearly, he's in love with you, okay? It's the reason he broke up with me. He told me so, Sharpay."

"Seriously, stop it, Gabriella." Sharpay said, now turning serious, "It was funny before, not anymore. Just drop it."

"I _mean_ it, Sharpay!" Gabriella said, looking deeply into her eyes, "I mean it. I'm deeply serious. I'm telling you this, because I don't want you to get hurt like I did."

"Drop it, Gabriella!" Sharpay said, standing up from her seat, to stare the other girl down, "Seriously, I don't want to listen to this. Whatever you're trying to do here, I'm not falling for it! If you're trying to screw up my relationship with Troy, I'm not gonna let you. I love him, okay? He's my best friend, okay? He's not in love with me, we're _just_ friends."

"That's what you think, Sharpay!" Gabriella argued, standing up too, looking the blonde in the eye, "I mean it, okay? He told me straight out, and I'm only telling you this, 'cuz I don't want you to get hurt like I did. I'm looking out for you, girls do that."

"I don't want listen to this, Gabriella," Sharpay said, as she shrugged her shoulders lightly. She just stared at a girl, she used to respect, and shook her head. That Gabriella would lie, just to keep her away from Troy, was beyond her belief. She really didn't think Gabriella would do that kind of stuff, but she guess she was wrong. That Gabriella would sink so low, was… maddening, really. No wonder Troy broke up with her. What a liar!

"I'm telling the truth!" Gabriella argued, moving around the counter, to be closer to her, "Seriously, Sharpay."

Sharpay watched her for a second, trying to read her eyes, but she found it impossible. That was why she decided to do what her heart told her, "…I don't believe you." she finished.

Gabriella let out a deep sigh, and looked at the floor. She was telling the truth, but she was doing it because she wanted them to stop their friendship. She wasn't doing it because she wanted to protect Sharpay, and she felt guilty about it. Right now, she wished she could take it back, as she looked at Sharpay, but she couldn't. It was too late.

She watched as Sharpay reached her hand out, and pointed into the hallway. Gabriella let out a deep sigh, and lowered her head, as she walked past her, and outside. Right now, she wished she could take it all back.

--

"What.are.they._doing_?" Ashlee asked, as she stared with open mouth through the window, at Troy and Tatiana, who was now battling the ball from each other. It looked really weird.

"The usual," Lucy replied, placing a cup of chocolate milk in front of Tessa, and then Ashlee, "I wonder what T is gonna do when she realize that she'll never make it to work on time. Do you think we should tell her?"

"No!" Tessa laughed, as she somehow managed to sit on a counter chair with her leg, "It'll be much more funny to watch her stress out later!"

Lucy and Ashlee giggled, as they all got lost in Tatiana and Troy's game again. Not that they understood any of the concepts of basketball, but it was fun to watch the two siblings goof off. Suddenly Troy paused and checked his watch. Then they watched him say something to Tatiana, who immediately seemed to freak out.

Then she burst through the door, and rushed past the kitchen, two seconds later, she poked her head in, her eyes wide, "I'm late!" she then said, before rushing off again, and the other three found themselves in laughter again.

They were still half-laughing, while drinking their chocolate milk, when Troy entered the kitchen, two minutes later. He watched them for a second, as they took in his sweaty appearance, and his rosy cheeks, before bursting into laughter _yet_ again.

"Nah, I don't wanna know…" he told them, as he crossed the floor, and grabbed a water bottle, before sitting down as well.

A comfortable silence came up between them, and Lucy eventually opted to go clean the bathroom, and left the three kids alone. When she was out of earshot, Ashlee and Tessa immediately attacked poor Troy with questions.

"So, now that you've broken up with Gabriella, are you and Sharpay going to get together?"

"Have you kissed her?"

"Can we call you Troypay, or does it have to be Shoy?"

"Seriously, Troypay sounds better, don't you think so too?"

"Can we like, set you up on a date, like as a, surprise, maybe?"

"Calm down girls!" Troy cut in, before their chatting became too much, "Seriously, both of you; breathe," he stared at them, when they got silent, "Thank you… And to answer your questions, no, I'm not gonna date her now, fine? Yes."

"But why not?" Tessa asked, her eyes getting big.

"Yeah, why not?" Ashlee added, throwing him her 'I'm innocent'-look, before adding, "…we know you like her."

"You know what?" Troy mumbled, jumping down from his seat, grabbing his water bottle on the way, "I don't have to talk to you two. I'm gonna go out and shoot some hoops. Toodles, girlies."

And with those words he was out of the kitchen, leaving them with a little wave.

--

Sharpay made her way into the TV room, in a daze. She didn't know what to think of what Gabriella had just told her. She didn't want to believe that Troy could be in love with her, it was just too _out there_. Troy didn't think of her like that. They were best friends, like sister and brother, they always had been. Of course there was the unfortunate dream/happy-incident from last weekend, but that wasn't serious. All guys were like that. Zeke was like that as well. They can't just _control_ that part of their body.

She sat down next to Ryan, who had turned on the TV, not really noticing what she was doing. She just stared blankly into space, thinking things over again and again in her head. She had forgotten all about Ryan's problem, as she needed to get this sorted out of her own. She didn't even think about it, even though Ryan was right next to her.

He, on the other hand, noticed her distress immediately, "Shar?" he questioned, arching his eyebrow, as he waved a hand in front of her face, to get her attention, "Are you okay, sis?"

She slowly turned her head to him, with a questionable look, "Yeah." She cleared her throat, nodding her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. Thank you, Ry."

"What did Gabriella say?" Ryan asked, now forgetting his own problem, to help his sister, because that was the difference between them. But he knew Sharpay couldn't help it, she didn't even think about it, that was just her personality, "What did she want?"

"She said some stuff about Troy," Sharpay replied, biting her lip, which was a bad habit of hers, when she had a lot on her mind, "I don't really want to get in on it all, but it was kinda… weird. Unbelievable."

"Then don't think more of it," Ryan suggested, lightly shrugging his shoulders, "Y'know, you're not even that close with her, why would you believe her? The only reason you hung out with her before was because of Troy, right? Just forget it."

"Yeah…" Sharpay said, trailing off, as she studied her brother's face, "Yeah, I guess you're right." she paused, and shot him a smile, "Thank you, Ryan. You're the best."

"You're welcome," he replied, hugging her tight, before she stood up to leave the room, "I'll do anything for you, sis."

"Yeah, I'll do anything for you too, Ry," Sharpay said, before skipping out of the room, she just didn't hear Ryan softly mumble, 'Yeah, I bet', because she was happily humming to herself, forgetting all about his problems, as she went into her room, to go online.

She didn't know if she should mention it for Troy though. She didn't want to raise doubt between them, but maybe it was a smart idea to mention it to him, that Gabriella had told her such a lie. She didn't know why, but it would probably be for the better. But then again; maybe not, because what would it do for him? He'd know, and then get hurt. There was no point in it, really.

As she moved to her window, to see if he was in his room, she looked down, and saw him playing basketball instead. As he got a ball into the hoop, she decided that not telling him was probably the best – he looked so happy right now. No need to spoil it.

* * *

_So yeah. No real Troypay interaction in this chapter; I'm sorry. But I did have the talk with Gabriella and Sharpay, which caused Sharpay to think about some stuff. I'm still doubting whether or not it was the right idea to do it this way, but it's too late to change it now, so yeah. It's gonna be this way. And the Ryan-subject will be brought up later, again. I'm a little scared to come to that part, with my ideas and all, because I don't know all you guys' opinions on that matter, and I don't want to lose readers. So we'll see if I decide to do it that way, maybe I won't, if I chicken out._

_I think this chapter was written fairly quickly, with school and all, so I hope you agree with me (: And I hope you all liked it. I actually had the chapter done yesterday night, but I was too tired to do the review replies, and I had to get up early, so yeah. Today it was. _

_**Disclaimer; **__(I really think I forget these all the time, lol) I don't own High School Musical, and whatever songs or music I might have mentioned in this chapter, is not mine either. Just to remind you. _


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

**That's… Great!**

The next morning, Troy had decided to step by Gabriella's locker to return her iPod. She didn't want to speak to him, still, he knew that, but at least he could give it back. So he'd made a little note, and then he was going to stuff it in there, so she could find it later, when school was out. He didn't want to confront her with it, or she would probably yell at him for going through her trash, or some other lame excuse to… well yeah, _yell at him_.

He gently placed the iPod in there, and made his way down the hallway again, getting to find Sharpay, or maybe Chad. He was actually nervous to face Sharpay, because he hadn't spoken to her last night. He didn't call her for their chat, and she didn't call him. So he didn't know if Gabriella had actually told her, but she seemed serious when she said she would, so he was afraid that she had actually done it. And if she had, he might have screwed up his entire friendship with Sharpay.

She was already by her locker, chatting with Ryan, when he gently placed his hands in front of her eyes, which caused her to squeal a little. Ryan just shook his head, shot Troy a smile, and left the two best friends alone.

Troy placed his mouth closely to Sharpay ear, and teased her; "Guess who…?"

"Hmm," Sharpay said, as she seemed to think for a second, "My first guess would be Chad! Yuup, it has got to be Chad, because he is after all my secret best friend. Of course we can't tell Troy, 'cuz it'd hurt him y'know, the fact that we're sneaking around behind his back."

Troy fake gasped and removed his hands, while Sharpay turned around, "YOU HAVE?" he placed a hand on his heart, and looked hurt, "How could you?"

Sharpay giggled for a second, before going serious again, "…I'm sorry, Troy-boy! I didn't mean it! It- I was thinking about you the entire time, and we only did it once!"

Troy let out a deep breath, and pretended to think things over, a finger on his chin, "I guess I can forgive you this one time. But if it ever happens again, I swear…"

"It won't!" Sharpay quickly butted in, placing her arms around his neck, "It won't; I promise you that!"

"Okay then," Troy chuckled, before enveloping her in a big hug, that squeezed the air out of her. When he released her, they just looked at each other for a second, "So what did you do yesterday? I didn't get to talk to you?"

"I was…" she paused for a second, and bit her lip, "I was with Ryan, y'know? Juuust hanging out."

"So nothing out of the ordinary happened?" Troy asked, digging a little deeper. He needed to know if Gabriella had been there, and if she had, what she had told her.

"No?" Sharpay questioned, her eyes widened a bit, as she watched him, a weird look in her eyes, "No? What should have happened, Troy? Do you know something I don't?"

"No…" he quickly said, shaking his head, "No not at all. I was just curious." He paused, and cleared his throat, "I'm gonna go to class? See you later?"

"Yeah," she nodded, kissing his cheek, "See ya'."

He shot her another smile, and she watched him leave, an eyebrow raised. What had that just been about? He seemed like he was really interested to know about her afternoon. Was it because he knew Gabriella had been there? Or was he just being his usual best friend-self?

Gah, she was so confused. She didn't know whether to believe Gabriella or not. It had kept her up ALL night, and she still didn't have an answer to that question. She really needed to know, but she couldn't just ask him, right? Because if it was true, she had to deal with Troy being in love with her. And if it wasn't true, she had to deal with Troy mocking and teasing her, about wanting him. Neither of those possibilities sounded really fun.

She turned around and fixed her hair in her locker, but when she saw Zeke behind her, through the mirror, she turned around and greeted him with a big kiss.

"Hey babe," he cheered, pulling her in for a hug.

"Hey," she smiled.

"Are you nervous for tomorrow?" he asked, as she turned around and closed her locker, "For the Talent Show?"

"No," she replied, turning back around, and taking his hand, "It's just a song, y'know? And Tessa helped my choose it, so I'm gonna dedicate it to her. And it actually fits me quite well too, so things are perfect."

"That's great," Zeke sad, fiddling with her fingers, as they started walking down the hall, to get to homeroom, "My mom is really looking forward to the dinner afterwards. Have you broken the news to Troy yet?"

"No," Sharpay replied, looking up at him, with a crooked smile, "Not yet. I can't seem to put the words together when I finally see him. We've both been so busy this week, and his break up with Gabriella is not helping things. I'm just gonna tell him tomorrow, if I don't do it tonight. I just can't seem to get myself to spill the beans."

"Well, I'm sorry," Zeke said, kissing the back of her hand for a second, "I know how close the two of you are. And I like the fact that you spend time with him, but I wanna see you too."

"I know," Sharpay assured him, as they got into the classroom, and she sat down on his desk, while he took his seat, "And I want to spend time with you too. And we will. Tomorrow."

Zeke quickly kissed her, before she skipped to her seat, when Mrs. Darbus announced her presence.

--

After school, Sharpay stopped by the Boltons, to say hi to whoever was home, and she found Tessa and Tatiana in the middle of _Mean Girls _in the living room, and she sat down next to them, as Tatiana turned down the volume a little.

"What's up, Sharpay Karen Evans?"

"Not much, bored," Sharpay replied, "So I figured if someone was bored in here, we could be bored together."

"I'm watching _Mean Girls_ with my sick little sister on a regular Thursday afternoon, do I look like I have a life?"

"Good point," Sharpay giggled, while Tessa hit her sister, letting out a "Hey! _You_ chose the movie!"

"Let's turn it off?" Tatiana suggested, cocking an eyebrow at them both, "And we can y'know, like… play cards or something! Oh, I know!" she raised her hand, as if she was in school, an excited look on her childish face, "Let's make some hot chocolate, and be cozy."

"I'm still wearing skirts and tees outside, but sure; hot chocolate sounds good." Sharpay sarcastically replied.

"When are you not wearing skirts and tees outside?" Tessa asked, tuning to look at her, "It's New Mexico, here's always hot, right?"

Sharpay let out a deep sigh, "Another good point."

"I'm gonna go make some!" Tatiana exclaimed, and shot out of her seat, and into the kitchen. A second later, she poked her head back in, "You get the cards, Shar!"

Sharpay giggled, and stood up from her seat, to go find some cards. She didn't exactly know where they kept the cards, though she spent all her time at their house. She knew though, that Troy had some in his room, so she decided that going to peek in there, was okay, even though he wasn't home. She knew he wouldn't mind. Her room was his room, and his room was her room.

She danced up the stairs, excitingly humming _I Don't Think About It_, while pretending to be onstage tomorrow. She had no idea what Troy was gonna sing, but he was gonna sing something, that much he'd told her.

As she entered his room, she looked around, thinking over where he might keep his cards. He had all kinds of crap. Tons of it, actually. His shelf was so unorganized, that it was crazy, so maybe that was were they were. It contained everything between the Earth and above. _Everything_.

As she went to look at the shelf, she came across an old, messy sandwich, and let out an 'eeew', before giving up on the shelf. Maybe his table would bring her more luck? She crossed the room, and was happy to find that more organized. The first thing her eye caught, was a framed picture of them. They were young, and holding each others' hands, while sharing a juice box. It had two straws. She giggled a little at the memory, and picked up a more resent picture. It was last Christmas, and they were sitting on the big couch in the Evans' living room, both almost buried in wrapping paper. They were dressed up fancy, and her head was resting on his shoulder, while he kissed her forehead.

They looked so happy.

She placed the frame back down again, and let her eyes wander over the table once more. Her eyes caught a pack of cards, and she quickly grabbed them, before jumping down the stairs. Tessa was already sitting by the other table, where three cups were placed. She could hear that Tatiana was still fiddling around in the kitchen, probably heating things up.

She went in there, and took in the scent of chocolate, "Do we need anything sweet? I think we have some sort of cookies back home!"

"Sweet!" Tatiana replied, turning to smile at her.

"My word!" Tessa agreed, from the living room.

"Fine," Sharpay giggled, making her way towards the front door, "I'll be right back. Gimme two minutes."

Tatiana nodded slightly, and Sharpay hurried outside, and crossed their lawn, and their own. She barged through the front door, and into the kitchen, quickly going for the drawer that contained all their sweets. She grabbed the first pack of cookies she saw, and was happy to see it was some sort of vanilla. When she turned around, she came face to face with Ryan, and realized she might have missed him sitting there by the counter, when she entered. How she did that though, she didn't get.

"Oh, Ry, you scared me," she said, placing a hand on her heart.

"I'm sorry," he replied, shooting her a death glare, which she didn't get, "What are you doing?"

"Hanging out with the Bolton girls." Sharpay replied, moving to rest her hands on the counter, "Tell Ashlee to come join us when she get home from wherever she is, alright?"

"Sure," Ryan just mumbled, not sounding very enthusiastic, or happy to be talking to her.

"What's up, Ry?" Sharpay asked, feeling quite hurt, and concerned about him, and the way he was acting – it really made her feel uncomfortable, "Did I do something?"

"It's what you didn't do, Sharpay!" Ryan asked, angrily standing up from his seat, "I've been trying to tell you about my problem forever, because I really need your help. But you always have somewhere else to be, or something else to do! Am I really not more important to you? I'm going mad, okay? I can't believe you don't care more about me."

"Ry…" Sharpay said, swallowing hard, as she sniffed for a second, "I'm sorry, I've just been really busy.. We'll talk tonight, I promise."

"Don't promise anything you can't keep." Ryan just replied, before walking out of the kitchen.

Sharpay watched him leave, feeling defeated. She hated herself right now. How could she be so stupid? How couldn't she care? But she _did_ care, she was just busy! Sighing, she made her way into Tessa and Tatiana again, to play.

--

Troy was softy humming the theme from Donald Duck, as he waited for the rest of them team to get outside. He had been there a bit earlier, to practice his free throws, so the rest of the team was only changing right now. He was glad that they finally got to practice. Season was over, but he missed the intense work outs, and stuff. Plus, it had been awhile, since his father had been there, with everything going on with Tessa. But Tatiana was busy with her today, so Coach Bolton felt the need to gather the team together for some play.

And Troy himself, had been caught up in everything with Gabriella as well, so he wouldn't really have been up for it, anyway. But he felt the need to blow off some energy today, because he was on top of the world – almost. He was so happy that Sharpay hadn't heard anything about his crush, that it just made him hyper. And then he couldn't wait until tomorrow, because the song he was gonna sing was just… perfect. He chose it with great care, and it was everything he needed to tell.

He was so caught up in his own mind, that he jumped when the team came laughing out, onto the field. They all just chatted away, and jumped around, warming up.

"Troy, my man!" Zeke exclaimed, giving him a friendly pad on the back.

"What's up?" Jason continued, as he threw a basketball at Chad, who caught it.

"Not much!" Troy said, dribbling his own ball, up and down, "Just thinking and such! It's been too long since we last played, guys!"

"You know it!" Chad agreed, laughing, as Jack told them to huddle up.

"Two and two, throw the ball between you, to get warmed up!" he continued, motioning for the team to start, as he pulled Troy and Chad off to the side, "I have something for the two of you, guys…" he paused, "You go running. Keep the speed up. When you've done 10 rounds, switch with two of the other guys. You need to give everything you have in you, for those ten rounds, got it?"

"Yeah, Coach!" Chad said, shooting his best friend's father a toothy smile.

"Sure," Troy replied, before running off, Chad right on his tale. They continued around the track, shoulder by shoulder. They took it slowly, because they weren't in a hurry to get back. Troy need to speak to Chad anyway, so why not do it now?

"Hey Chad…?" he casually asked, looking at him from the corner of his eye.

"Yup?"

"I broke up with Gabriella…" Troy then said, wondering if his best friend had gotten the news by now. He hadn't told him himself, but words traveled pretty fast around campus, and it could have seemed less obvious. They hadn't been kissing these last couple of days, people ought to have noticed that.

"Yeah," Chad said, as he slowed down their pace a bit, to be able to speak, "I heard, dude. What happened there? I thought you were happy, but Tay said, that… _Ah, well_."

"You know, huh?" Troy just questioned, looking up at his best friend, seeking for help. He was really confused, and if he couldn't speak to Chad about it, then who could he confine in?

"Dude! Sharpay, really!?" Chad just asked, shaking his head lightly, which made his hair bounce more than it already was from the running, "Seriously? You guys are like brother and sister!"

"I know!" Troy whined, as they made their way onto the fourth round, "I'm just… I'm confused, Chad, I just really like her. So I had to break it off with Gabriella. How did you know anyway?"

"Well, Gabriella told Taylor, who told me." Chad just explained, which of course, made sense, "And when Gabriella told Taylor, she made it seem like Sharpay was some sort of… witch. A man-stealer or something. And Tay was kinda skeptical, but she supported her best friend, of course. So yeah. She told me, thought I wanted to know. And Tay didn't want to speak too much about what Sharpay had done and not-done, 'cuz she's friends with her too, so I'm like, really confused." He paused and looked at Troy for a second, "So what happened? Did you kiss her?"

"No!" Troy said, brushing him off, "No, not more than what you've seen. We kiss sometimes, yeah, but that's friendly… From her side, anyway. But I just, well, I love her, okay? I really do, so yeah. I haven't told her yet, though."

"Nah, I figured." Chad replied, as they came to the eight round, "And you can't really, can you? I mean… _Zeke_, y'know?"

"I know," Troy shrugged, "I'm singing for her tomorrow, so I'm hoping she'll magically figure it out, or something. But I dunno, I just want her. But maybe she doesn't want me back, so I guess I'll have to give it some time."

"Let Gabriella calm down as well," Chad advised, "Y'know? Let her get over it, and maybe by then, things will have changed between you and Sharpay too, who knows?"

"Yeah," Troy agreed, stopping up, as they finished their rounds, they switched places with two of the other guys, and started throwing the ball between them, "You're right Chad, y'know? I'm really glad that we had this talk, it's been too long since we hung out."

"Yeah, we need to do that more often." Chad agreed, throwing the ball right at his best bud.

--

"So?" he whispered, after a good while of silence between the two, where they'd just been listening to each others breathing, while staring at each other through the windows, "…are you nervous about tomorrow?"

"No," Sharpay quickly told him, giggling slightly, "Everybody keeps asking me that, but I'm great. I have a great song, a great dress, some great moves, and great hair!"

"That's … great!" Troy chuckled, which caused her to giggle even more than she already was.

"Did Gabriella get her iPod?" Sharpay then asked, because Troy had told her all about his plan of giving it back to her, without actually speaking to her.

"Yeah, I think so." Troy replied, licking his lips for a second, "I'm not totally sure, how can I be? But if she has it tomorrow, she definitely got it!"

"Haha…" Sharpay mumbled, playing with a lose hem on her top – the top she slept in.

"What's wrong?" Troy then questioned, "You seem awfully down today? Something happen? Did Zeke break up with you!?"

"No!" Sharpay quickly said, giggling lightly, "No, he didn't. Why would he?… no, it's – it's Ry, actually."

"What about him?"

"Well, he's been trying to tell me something for so long!" Sharpay said, her voice getting squeaky, because she was so worked up about it, "And I haven't been a very good twin-sister, 'cuz I have been too busy to listen to him, to take the time and give him advice. And now I went to speak to him, here, tonight, 20 minutes ago, and he just… _he shot the door in my face_."

"He did?!" Troy was surprised. That didn't seem like Ryan, "Why?"

"He's really mad at me, so I guess he won't speak to me now." Sharpay mumbled, letting out a deep sigh, "I feel really bad."

"I'm sorry Paypay," Troy said, as another silence came up between them. He decided to break them, with something he noticed earlier at school, "…anyway. I was noticing something? Do you know Tobias from the art club? Y'know, the skinny, brown haired guy, who has a really high voice?"

"Yeah?" Sharpay questioned, "Gay-guy?"

"Yuup, that's him!"

"What about him?"

"Well…" Troy trailed off, "After practice, Chad and I kinda, ran into him by his locker, and yeah… he seems oddly obsessed with you, so maybe he isn't that gay after all!"

"What do you mean?" Sharpay asked, sticking her tongue out at him, through the windows.

"Well, he has like, a ton of pictures stuck to the inside of his locker, and they're all with you in them!" Troy told her, chuckling slightly, "And here we are, calling him gay, fourth year in a row, and he's crushing on the cutest girl in school."

"Oh, you're sweet," Sharpay told him, "I feel bad for him though. Are you sure, that was what it was?"

"Totally sure," Troy just confirmed, nodding his head, "What else should it be?"

"I dunno," she giggled, "Anyway, I better get going, 'cuz I'm like really tired, Troysie!"

"Yeah okay, I'll see you tomorrow, Paypay!" Troy said, smiling at her, "I love you mucho."

"Mucho-mucho." Sharpay said, before kissing her phone.

* * *

_So yeah. This chapter was totally pointless, I know. The reason I didn't just skip ahead to Friday, was because I needed the Troy/Chad conversation, and then I put a few hints into this, plus the Sharpay/Ryan kinda-fight… so uhm, yeah, maybe I should just shut up about this chapter being pointless? Turned out, I needed it big time! _

_Sorry about the length though. I would have made it longer, but I didn't think there was more to write, so here it is. I hope it was all worth the wait, and I will update as fast as possible, I promise you that! _

_The whole gay-guy stuff? I'm not trying to offend anyone, it's just something from my own life. Tobias; I build off of a guy from my school, who has like, a really high voice. And it's not 'cuz he's at that stage, it just IS his voice. I almost can't speak to him without laughing, it's kinda weird, lol. And the reason they called him gay-guy, is from my own life too. Me and some of the girls from my old class, called every guy, who had like, a tendency to be feminine for gay-guy. It was kinda mean._

_By the way… I feel like I forgot something REALLY important in this chapter, so if I remember it, I'm gonna rewrite it, and I'll be sure to tell you, when I post next chapter, okayies? _

_I don't own High School Musical, or any mentioned songs or movies. The "great" part is taken right out of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody, Not So Suite 16 episode. I just loved that line. _

_**Dedication; **__zashley4ever;__ because you're the greatest. Happy 13__th__ birthday. _


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

**How Did I Fall in Love With You?**

_Remember when, we never needed each other  
The best of friends, like  
Sister and Brother  
We understood, we'd never be,  
Alone_

Sharpay was applying her make-up in her bathroom mirror, smiling at her own appearance. The only thing she needed was her make-up and then she was done! She went for the smokey look, since she knew several people who liked that look on her. Zeke told her at a party that she was hot with it, Ryan and her sister always said it looked cool, and Troy just told her it made her look even more beautiful. Those were after all the people she lived to please, so she thought going smokey tonight would be great.

Not that Ryan would really care. He hadn't spoken a word to her all day, except for a 'can you pass me the milk?', over the breakfast table that morning. Ashlee had been curious about their argument, but Sharpay had given her a look, which got her to shut up. It was weird really. They never went one day without speaking to each other, because they simply cared too much about each other to do that. Which was why Sharpay was sure this had really hurt him. She knew it was because she hadn't listened to him, and now she not only felt bad about it – she was also really curious to hear what was up. What was the cause of his distress?

When she finished her make-up, she looked at herself, and nodded her head in approval. She looked fine, so she grabbed her purse and bounced downstairs, waiting for Zeke to pick her up. Ryan, Ashlee and their parents had gone about an hour ago, to speak with Ashlee's teacher first, but Sharpay hadn't been ready then, so she'd arranged for Zeke to pick her up.

When he came, she greeted him with a kiss, and they drove off to school.

_Those days are gone, and I want you so much  
The night is long and I need your touch  
Don't know what to say  
I never meant to feel this way  
Don't want to be  
Alone tonight_

Sharpay smiled at Troy and the rest of the Boltons when they entered, and waved them happily. They hurried to get the seats in front of them, so they could chat a bit. Sharpay had saved seats for her own family next to Zeke and his family who was already there.

Zeke's mom had commented on how nice Sharpay looked, and his father had nodded in approval, while his grandparents shook her hand, happy to meet her. She just clung onto Zeke, making sure to kiss his cheek, just to let them all know how much she cared about their son/grandson. She didn't want them to doubt her feelings for him, or anything. Not that she thought they did, she just wanted to make sure.

"Wowsie Payday, you look hot!" Tatiana said, eyeing her up and down, a teasing grin on her face.

"Shuddup, T!" Sharpay shot back, hitting her across the shoulder, "I'm dressing up nicely, okay? No need for you to make fun of me!"

"I wasn't making fun," Tatiana mumbled, sitting down, as the rest of the Boltons did the same, "When will your dear family arrive, then? I guess Ry will be doing a show too?"

"Of course he will," Sharpay replied, studying her nails for a second. Then she turned to Troy, and moved a seat over, to wrap her arms around him, from the back, "How are you doing, Troy?" she asked, kissing his cheek.

"I'm fine," he said, awkwardly wiping his cheek off, which Sharpay noticed, and made her feel weird, "You?"

"I'm goodie, as always!" she cheered, clapping her hands together, excitingly, "I still have something to tell you later, though," she reminded him, locking eyes with Zeke. She hadn't quite gotten around it to tell Troy about her plans with the Baylors. She really hoped he wouldn't kill her, but the odds for that were low.

Troy turned around to look at her, and shot her a questionable look.

"Later…" she whispered, as her parents came to find their seats, Ryan and Ashlee in tow.

"Mom!" Zeke quickly butted in, gesturing towards the Evans', "These are Sharpay's parents, and her brother and sister."

"And mom, these are Zeke's parents and grandparents!" Sharpay cheered.

Viola immediately lit up and went to greet the Baylors, which made Sharpay and Zeke very happy. Richard was a bit more hesitant, but he always had been, when it came to boys and Sharpay. The only boys he really trusted around Sharpay were Ryan and Troy. So that he let Zeke sleep over was a big thing. Not that he knew about it _every time_ he did, because he was never home.

Everybody grew silent though, when Mrs. Darbus came on stage, greeting everyone with her usual hollering, and wild gestures. Sharpay just clapped proudly of her drama teacher, as she had announced the first one on stage, which was Gabriella, singing _Boyfriend _by Alphabeat.

Of course she'd sing a song like that. Sharpay could feel her sending angry glares her way, but she just shrugged them off, and chatted away with Zeke to annoy the Latino girl. She found it rather odd, that Gabriella kept her beliefs about Troy being in love with her. It wasn't true, she could just feel it. If something between her and Troy changed, she knew Troy would tell her. They'd always had an open friendship, where they'd told each other everything. And she knew, that if she ever felt differently about him, she'd tell him. At least that was what she'd like to believe, anyway.

Perhaps Gabriella had gotten it all wrong? Maybe it was another girl Troy liked, and maybe he'd just said her name, so he wouldn't need to tell Gabriella who it really was? It was easier that way, if he didn't want her to know.

But that still didn't clear out _why_ he hadn't told her…

Gabriella was good though. Alphabeat's music was kinda funny, and really special, and she gave it good justice. Sharpay knew that performing it wouldn't be easy, so she made sure to cheer loudly, and she made Zeke whistle.

As that Allan guy, who couldn't possibly sing a tune in his life came on, she turned to her dad, to make some small-talk. No one paid attention to Allan, so at least she wasn't the only one.

"Daddy?" she questioned, "How did it go with Ash?"

"Oh…" Richard replied, hugging Ashlee, who sat on the other side of him, closer to his body, "I went okay, I guess. She's going to take a test Monday after school, and then by Tuesday they'll know. If she is dyslexic, she'll get appointed extra time on her tests, and other dates for her assignments. It won't change too much, but at least there'll be a reason for her being so behind her classmates."

"Of course," Sharpay smiled, nodding for a bit.

"What's wrong?" Zeke asked, getting interested. He just heard the last part of the conversation, and now he wanted to know more. Also to show Sharpay's dad that he really meant well.

"Ash might be dyslexic." Sharpay told him, moving her hand to put it in his own, which he didn't mind.

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Zeke said, looking at Ashlee, a sincere smile playing across his face.

Ashlee just shot him a weird look and turned away from him, talking to her mother. Zeke looked confused and hurt for a second, but Sharpay kissed him reassuringly on the cheek, making sure he knew he hadn't done anything wrong.

"She's just really weird at times," she whispered in his ear, smiling sweetly at him.

Zeke nodded and fiddled with her fingers for a second, before kissing her on the mouth, "I can't wait until later, Shar… It's gonna be so much fun. Granny is really happy that you're there. It's her birthday."

"Oh!" Sharpay said, her eyes turning bright by the news, "And me without a card! Zeke; you could've told me!"

He rolled his eyes by his cute girlfriend and turned back to look at the stage, as yet another student came on to do their talent. Sharpay left her seat, because her turn was up next, and they all wished her good luck as she went.

"You're gonna love her…" Mrs. Baylor told her mom, padding the old woman on the hand, "She has such an amazing voice, and she's the sweetest girl ever. Zeke couldn't find better."

Zeke just smiled happily, as he continued to listen to his mom praise his girlfriend throughout another boring number. Things would definitely be different once Sharpay came on. She always made a good show, that was for sure.

"And now!" Mrs. Darbus announced, making everyone silent, "I'm proud to present Sharpay Evans singing _I Don't Think About It_! Give her a big welcome!"

They all applauded as Sharpay came onto the stage, waving to them all. She grabbed the microphone, and lifted it to speak for a second; "A quick dedication…" she giggled, "…to my wonderful friend, Tessa Bolton, who choose this song for me. I love you girlie, you rock!"

_What can I do, to make you mine  
Falling so hard so fast this time  
What did I say, what did you do?  
How did I fall in love with you?_

The next one on was Ryan, and then there were a few more on, and Troy went last. Ryan did a jazz number, where he could sing and do the steps he loved so much. He did a good show, and everyone clapped, but no one clapped as much for anyone, as they did when Troy had sung his song…

--

Troy was nervously waiting behind the red curtain, waiting for his turn to come. The one before him was almost done, and he could feel his heart starting to beat faster. He had never been so nervous before, but it was because of the message he was giving, he knew it.

It was all for Sharpay, because hallo?!, she was awesome. He loved her with all his heart, and he wanted her to know that. And luckily for him, there was one song which could describe exactly how he was feeling inside. He just hoped she got the message. But he wasn't sure if she would. He couldn't do anything but try, really.

He went on stage when Mrs. Darbus announced his name, but he didn't stop to dedicate the song, like Sharpay had done. He didn't want to let everybody know, and if she couldn't see it herself, then maybe she was just blind. He felt like everybody else knew about it. His family, and her siblings saw right through him, so why couldn't she?

_How Did I Fall in Love With You? _

The message was clear, as he sung his heart out, looking around the auditorium, his eyes landing on her more than one time. Most of the times, actually, but he couldn't help it. His gaze just wandered to her beauty, she was so appealing, and just… perfect.

He couldn't wait for their regular Friday night-thingy later. He felt like he hadn't spent time with her all week, and he really missed her. Watching movies, while snuggling beneath one blanket would really do him good, he knew that. And just being with her, would make his shitty week seem less… well, _shitty_. She could make him feel better like no one else, so he knew it'd all be good once he spend some time with her.

_I hear your voice  
And I start to tremble  
Brings back the child that, I resemble_

People seemed to really get into the song, and he did too. He felt great about himself, as he swayed to the beat, and hit all the high keys. He did good – the best he had done so far, out of all the times he'd sung that song. It was not a song he usually listened to, but he'd gone through all Tatiana's old boy bands CD's to find a great song, and when he read the lyrics to this one, it just… it screamed out 'Sharpay and I!', so he chose it.

He was the last one on stage, so after this they only needed to announce the winner, and then he could go home, either to his room or Sharpay's (which really also was his), and have fun with her.

He finished his song off with a smile, and bowed before making his way down from stage. Gabriella shot him an evil glare as he passed her to sit down by his family. His mother hugged him tightly, telling him he did good, and Tatiana padded him happily on the back. The best greeting he got though, was from Sharpay, who pulled him in for a tight hug, kissing his face all over, while he just stood there, taking in her scent, and her kisses.

"So there is someone else, huh?" she whispered in his ear, quietly, so no one else would hear, "…who is she?"

He shot her a teasing grin, and sat down again, as Mrs. Darbus told them all that Gabriella had won the Talent Show. They clapped at her, and then stood up to go home. Troy just looked around for Sharpay, while his parents went outside to wait for them. Sharpay was talking to her parents, before they left, and then she turned to Zeke, probably to say goodbye or something.

Then after a good two minutes, she turned to him, a huge smile covering her beautiful face. He smiled back, and grabbed her hand; "Ready to go? Where do we sleep over? Yours or mine?"

"Troy…" she said, as she stopped, which caused him to stop as well. He could almost hear in her voice that this was something huge… He didn't want to know.

"What?" he asked, letting out a deep sigh.

"I've sorta been trying to tell you that I can't have a sleep-over tonight." She said, looking up at him, her chocolate orbs filled with sadness and guilt, "I'm going to Zeke's tonight, for dinner."

"But Fridays are our nights!" Troy protested, as he helplessly let go of her hand, glaring at Zeke, who stood a few feet away from them, waiting with his family.

"But it's Hannah's birthday." Sharpay said, eyeing him down, "Zeke's granny. And I really want to go… Can't we just do it another night?"

"But we're always together on Friday's!" Troy argued, angrily stomping his foot into the floor. He was getting hysterical, he knew that. But he hadn't seen her all week, and the only bright thing in his life at that point, had been spending time with her. How could she just blow him off?

"I'm sorry, Troy," she sighed, taking a step away from him, "I need to go with Zeke. He's my boyfriend, okay? I would've understood it, had it been you. Don't be like this."

"Don't be like what!?" Troy sneered, as he turned around on his heel and went outside, to find his family.

_I cannot pretend, that we can still be friends  
Don't want to be,  
Alone tonight_

"So, Sharpay?" Grandma Hannah asked, as she turned to look at the blonde girl, "Where and when did you and Zeke meet?"

"Well," Sharpay said, as she shared a smile with Zeke, before smiling at the old woman, "We've known each other for years, actually. We go to the same school. But it wasn't until a few months ago that we started dating. I guess I just couldn't resist his charming looks, and oh, his awesome brownies. I'm sorry, but I just love them."

Mrs. Baylor laughed lovingly, as Zeke placed an arm around Sharpay, and hugged her body closer to his. She responded to the gesture, by kissing his cheek.

"So, where do you live anyway?" Grandma Hannah continued. She was really interested in her life, Sharpay noticed, and it made her sorta uncomfortable, but then again; it was okay. She probably just wanted to know that her grandson had a good girlfriend.

"At the other end of town." Sharpay replied, as she sipped her water, "My mom and dad work a lot, so they're almost always away on business. My twin brother and I take care of our little sister, and we have housekeepers and cooks to help us around the house. But mostly we dine with my best friend's family. They live right next door."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful of them," Hannah continued, "But dear, you do miss your parents, right?"

"A bunch," Sharpay assured her, still with that oh-so-charming smile on her face, "But that's also why I love to come here with Zeke's family. They're all so great, and they act like a real family. I mean… Look at this, tonight; they dine together."

"You're always welcome, Sharpay sweetheart." Mr. Baylor assured her, butting into their conversation.

"Thank you, Mr. Baylor." Sharpay replied.

Zeke then cleared his throat, as he eyed Sharpay's empty dish, "Mom? Do you think it'd be alright if Sharpay and I went upstairs for a bit? We're gonna have to find her something to sleep on and stuff."

"That's quite alright, Zeke," Mrs. Baylor told him, waving them off, "Just promise to come down and say goodnight before you go to bed, okay?"

"Okay mom," Zeke said, kissing her cheek.

"Thanks for dinner, Mrs. Baylor!" Sharpay cheered, kissing her cheek as well. Then she turned to Grandma Hannah and politely took her hand, "Happy birthday… again!"

"Oh, stop the weird hand-shaking, and gimme a hug!" Hannah squealed, pulling Sharpay down for a hug, before she even managed to object – not that she'd want to.

When they'd hugged, Sharpay and Zeke grabbed two bottles of water, as they made their way up the stairs, giggling and teasing each other, while Hannah just watched her grandson, and his girlfriend, a smile playing on her old, wrinkled face.

_What can I do, to make you mine  
Falling so hard so fast this time  
What did I say, what did you do?  
How did I fall in love with you?_

"C'mon Troy, cheer up!" Tatiana urged on, as she forcefully stuffed a marshmallow into his mouth, even though he did his best to prevent it.

"I will not cheer up!" Troy choked out, as he swallowed the sticky candy, "I can't believe she'd blow me off! We _always_ hang out together on Friday nights! I can't believe she'd just hang out with… _Zeke_, her boyfriend."

"Yeah, 'cuz it's not normal for a teenage girl to want to spend time with her guy, Troy!" Tessa chipped in, from the couch, where she was watching TV with her mother. Tatiana, Troy and Jack were in the middle of a game of poker.

"Well, I should be important as well!" Troy said, as he eyed the cards on the table, "…I'm out – I mean!_ Hello_, we've been best friends forever, right? And the fact that she didn't tell me before, she just.. she just blew me off. How could she do that?"

"You can always hang out tomorrow?" Jack suggested, as he chipped in with an offer.

"No," Troy quickly said, crossing his arms across to chest, in a real girly way, "Now I don't want to. She can just spend time with _Zeke_. If I'm not important enough for her to make time for, I don't want to make time for her, either."

"You know you don't mean that," Tatiana mumbled, eyeing him angrily.

"You're sounding really childish, Troy!" Lucy exclaimed from the couch, her eyes still glued to the TV screen. It was probably _Desperate Housewives _or some other womanly show. Troy had no idea what his mom and little sister found so great about them.

"No, I don't…" Troy mumbled, leaning back in his chair, "But I don't want to just forgive her for hurting me… But on the other hand, we haven't seen each other all week, I miss her. I want to spend time with her!"

Tatiana sighed, and threw her cards at the table, as their father won the round, "Then set something up for tomorrow night! Jeez Troy, you're making things so difficult!"

"That's because he's in _luuuuuve_…" Tessa teased, grinning at him, with a pink lollypop in hand.

"Shuddup!" Troy exclaimed, before angrily storming off to go text Sharpay.

_Oh I want to say this right  
And it has to be tonight  
Just need you to know, oh yeah_

Sharpay closed her cell with a smack, and let out a deep sigh. She couldn't stand the way she was feeling inside. She felt so guilty. And the fact that Troy had texted her, telling her how disappointed and mad he was, but that he still wanted to get together tomorrow, didn't make it much better. She was never one to blow her friends off to go hang out with her boyfriend, but this was something different… It was _Hannah's birthday._

And she had enjoyed herself. During dinner she had spoken to Hannah, and talked about this and that, and she'd had fun. But then when there was a moments silence, or like now, when she and Zeke were just watching a movie, she could feel the guilt. She knew she wouldn't feel better until she had made it up to him tomorrow. She'd have to be extra nice, to make him forgive her. And she'd have to assure him that she would never do it again.

"You seem quiet Shar babe…" Zeke stated, pulling her closer to his body, as they snuggled together on his bed, their eyes fixed on the TV, "Are you not having fun?"

"Oh I am," Sharpay quickly assured him, as she turned her eyes upwards, locking with his dark brown ones, "I was just thinking… I'm having plenty of fun, Zeke."

"Oh, I was worried for a moment. I know how Granny Hannah can be at times. She tend to ask too many questions."

"It didn't bother me, don't worry." Sharpay continued, as she turned around, so they were lying face to face. She looked him deeply into the eyes, before planting a kiss on his lips, "I love how your family is so close. Mine never was. That's also why I love Troy's family so much. Because they're close. They're a… _family_."

"Oh, how sad…" Zeke teased, kissing her repeatedly on the lips, as they talked, "I feel so bad for you… You need me to cheer you up? Later, maybe? When my parents are asleep?" he kissed her again, this time much longer, and much more passionate.

Sharpay pulled away from him, giggling like crazy, "Ah, I'd love to, but I have women problems… So we can't do anything."

Zeke paused for a second, and quickly glanced down there, before locking eyes with her again. Sharpay burst out laughing, before hitting him hard on the chest;

"You pervert!"

He stuck his lower lip out again, and tugged a strand of her hair, behind her ear, "I'm not, I'm just…"

"A pervert!" she finished for him, and then started giggling again.

"You're weird, you know that, right?" Zeke mumbled, planting a kiss on her nose.

Sharpay just rolled her eyes, and let out a deep breath, before kissing him again, "Yes, but you still love me!"

Zeke chuckled again, and Sharpay turned around again, so she could watch the TV, her back firmly pressed against his chest, as he pulled her closer. He kissed her neck a few times, before adjusting them, so they were lying more comfortable.

Sharpay let out a deep sigh, as the silence overtook them again, the only sound coming from the TV screen. She rested her head on Zeke's pillow, as thoughts of Troy came back to her head. Oh, the guilt…

_I don't want to live this life  
I don't want to say goodbye  
With you I wanna spend  
The rest of my life_

Troy was staring blankly at the TV screen, watching old reruns of _Friends_. It was that episode… eh, the one where Chandler and Monica ended up, no… was it Chandler and Phoebe? Oh, who was he kidding? He wasn't paying attention. He wasn't even sure it was _Friends _that was on, now when he thought about it. It might as well have been _Dharma and Greg _or maybe even _Beverly Hills. _

He grabbed the remote control, and switched off the TV. He leaned back on his bed, resting his tired head on the soft pillow, as Sharpay once again came onto his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about her. Normally, he'd just think about how much he wanted to kiss her, and how unfair it was that Zeke had her, when he'd make a much better boyfriend. But now… Now, he was just thinking about how much she had hurt him. He was really mad at her, but then again… he could see her point of view. He just didn't want to let it go, because when someone you love as much, as he loves her, hurts you, you can't just let it slide.

He really needed to think about something else. He groaned and got out of bed, sitting in front of his laptop, which was already turned on. He had no homework to do, so he just went online, to see if anyone was on. At least anyone he'd like to speak to.

Ryan was on.

They immediately started up a conversation, chatting about this and that. Anything, but Sharpay. Troy knew Ryan was mad at her, and he, himself needed something else to think about, so it was absolutely perfect.

After awhile, Troy told Ryan he wanted to go to bed, and Ryan agreed, so they said goodbyes and Troy logged off, turning his laptop off too. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't really tired, but he didn't want to sit up and talk all night either. He knew his mother wouldn't approve of that. And Sharpay wouldn't either…

He picked up the picture of them from last Christmas, and took it to bed with him, staring at how happy they looked, as he lay there, with only his bedside lamp turned on. He really loved how they looked together, and he didn't understand why Sharpay couldn't see that. Wasn't it obvious how much he loved her? Or was she really that blind…?

He turned his head to the side, as his mother barged through the door, smiling down at him.

"Goodnight, Troy," she said, sitting down by the side of his bed. He knew it seemed like he was 5 years old, but he really needed moments like this at times, "I know it all seems pretty bad for you right now, because you're so young, and I know how much you love Sharpay, but… It's not the end of the world. And it'll all work out, I can promise you that."

Troy placed the picture down on the table beside him, and looked over at his mom, "Thanks mom…" he mumbled, smiling up at her, "You're the best mom ever. Thank you for being so cool, and always supporting me."

"What are moms for?" Lucy said, standing up again, to leave the room, "Sleep tight, Troy."

"You too, mom." Troy said, as she left the room, and closed the door.

_What can I do, to make you mine  
Falling so hard so fast this time  
What did I say, what did you do?  
How did I fall in love with you?_

Zeke and Sharpay looked up from their tight embrace, as Zeke's mom and Grandma stuck their head through the slightly open door. They both smiled at the two teens, who were looking really sleepy, as they lay there in total darkness, their arms wrapped around each other, ready to sleep.

"We just wanted to say goodnight," Mrs. Baylor whispered, giving them a look-over. You could tell how happy she was at this Friday night – the happiness just floated off of her, and all around her.

"Goodnight mom," Zeke said, his grin just as toothy as hers.

"Goodnight Mrs. Baylor," Sharpay whispered, gripping tighter around Zeke, "Thanks for tonight. It's been wonderful."

"We should do it again sometime," Grandma Hannah chipped in, smiling down at them too, "It was nice meeting you, Sharpay. Really."

"You too," Sharpay just said, nodding her head a bit.

"_Goodbye_ grandma!" Zeke said, his eyebrows raising slightly.

"Alright we can take a hint…" Mrs. Baylor giggled, as the door closed behind them, and Zeke relaxed again. He kissed Sharpay's forehead, and they both got ready to sleep, without exchanging another word.

The thing that was on Sharpay's mind though, was Troy. And then it made her wonder… _why _was she thinking so much about Troy these days?

_What can I do, to make you mine  
Falling so hard so fast this time  
Everything's changed, we never knew_

_How did I fall, in love, with you?_

* * *

_Okay. I'm not proud of this chapter. Definitely not proud. But this is the way it's gonna be. It was hard for me to write, for some reason. I think I'm running low because of the lack of Troypay-love. I need to have it soon, or I'm gonna… I dunno what I'm gonna, but I can almost, definitely promise some Troypay-ness in the next chapter. That's almost for sure! _

_Okay, so yeah. I don't really like to put songs in chapters this way I did in this, when it's not a song-fic. But I had to do it, 'cuz it was like… the song that Troy sang for Sharpay, and I didn't want to put it straight out when he sang it, 'cuz I'd find that boring too. So this was the only other way that I could figure out to do it. I'm sorry if it was weird… I do apologise. _

_And the boring chapter? I have no excuses. I was ah… stuck in the middle of it. I needed the dinner, and I tried to get both Troy and Sharpay's feelings and emotions out, but for some reason, it didn't exactly work for me. Hmm… I wonder why. _

_And have you read my new joint fic with Noukka? It's called "It Ends Tonight", and I'd love you forever if you read and commented. I think it's gonna be an awesome fic. _

_And now when I've finished this, I really gotta go do my Spanish Assignment, I'm doing it on Corbin Bleu, since we have to do it on a celebrity. Who's better than him, right? Well, I was considering doing it on Ashley, but then my friend talked about doing that, so Mr. Bleu it is! Lol. Wish me luck on it, please? _

_**Dedication; **__christy xx;__ I love you girlie! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was all for you! So yeah. I hope it wasn't that boring. It wasn't my best work, but ah… I hope I did okay. I'm gonna write a one-shot for you soon… I think. I just need a great idea, lol. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!_

_**Disclaimer; **__I do not own High School Musical or "How Did I Fall in Love With You?" by Backstreet Boys. I don't own any of the mentioned songs or movies either…. At least I think I don't, lol. _


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

**I Dare You to Kiss Me**

Sharpay looked at the front door, taking in a deep breath. Normally she wouldn't knock, but something told her she better do it today. She had no idea if Troy was going to kill her or not, and how the rest of the family felt about her. She knew that what she had done had to have hurt him, but it wasn't that bad… was it?

She finally lifted her hand and slowly knocked. She waited a few seconds, straightening out her top, to keep herself occupied. When the door finally opened, she came face to face with Tatiana, who seemed rather surprised to see her there.

"Hey…" she said, her lips curling into a smile, "Hi Payday!"

"Can I… can I come in?" Sharpay questioned, arching her eyebrow slightly, in question.

"When do you ever knock?" Tatiana just stated, as she opened the door fully, to let Sharpay get through. Tatiana closed the door behind them, and eyed the younger girl for a few seconds, before letting out a deep sigh, "So… What's up?"

"Can you tell Troy I'm here?" Sharpay asked.

"TROY!?" Tatiana hollered, up the staircase, which caused Sharpay to jump a little, though she should have known. Tatiana never did anything the 'normal' way. She was kinda weird – and funny – like that. She would much rather holler up the stairs, annoying the whole household, than actually use the pair of feet she was born with to go up there, "YOU HAVE COMPANY!"

"I could've done that myself, y'know?" Sharpay said, as she just looked at her, laughter playing in her eyes.

Tatiana then rolled her eyes, and made her way into the kitchen to the rest of her family, mumbling something that sounded a lot like, "Then why the hell did you ask me? Hmm, no wonder you've gone blonde."

Before Sharpay managed to reply to that 'insult', Tatiana had rounded the corner to the kitchen, and Troy was moving down the stairs, sounding like 50 elephants, and not one teenage boy. He paused by the bottom of the staircase, when he saw her, and his face immediately turned into a frown.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice stern, but his eyes gave him away. Sharpay had always been able to read him like an open book, and she could see that he was happy to see her, just as she was happy to see him. She could also tell he was sad, and hurt, and that made her feel bad.

"Troy, please, don't do this…" she said, as she took a step closer to him, "I've come here so we can talk this out, alright? I hate fighting with you, and it's stupid. You're my best friend."

"And still you blew me off for your boyfriend." Troy said, and it was almost as if his blue eyes were shooting flashes.

"Yes," Sharpay agreed, her voice quivering with emotion, because she hated to see him hurt. Especially if she was the one who hurt him, "And I'm sorry, it's not right to do that. But it was Hannah's birthday, I couldn't just blow it off, alright? I had hoped you'd understand, but I guess you don't."

"We always hang out on Friday nights!" Troy argued, brushing his hair out of his eyes, by a swift of his hand, "It's an unspoken rule in our friendship, and you just broke it! You trampled all over me!"

"Oh, c'mon, Troy!" Sharpay argued back, raising her voice slightly with him. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Tatiana, Tessa and Ashlee peeking at them from the kitchen, but she didn't care enough to tell them to move. If things continued the way they were headed between her and Troy, they'd hear them no matter what, because of their loud voices; "It was one night! I want to spend time with you, don't think I don't! I care about you, I love you, but you're making things so hard!"

"I'm making things hard!?" Troy yelled, jumping onto the floor, so he was right in front of her, "You're the one who chose your boyfriend over your best friend!"

"I'd never choose Zeke over you, Troy!" Sharpay yelled back, rolling her eyes, "I love Zeke, and he's important to me, but not as much as you. Boyfriends are gonna come and go, but I expect us to be friends for life! Heck, I'd even break up with a guy, if it turned out you and him didn't get along. I love you Troy!"

"Then break up with him." Troy told her, looking deeply into her eyes.

Sharpay could her the eavesdroppers gasp, before she lost her jaw herself, "What? Troy – no. That's silly… Why?"

"You just said you'd break up with a guy for me," Troy said, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "Then how about you prove it?"

"Why would I break up with Zeke? You like Zeke." Sharpay stated, calming herself down from the inside. This conversation was getting weirder and weirder by the minute, and she couldn't by any means figure out what was going through Troy's head as they spoke.

"Yeah, but… you just said that-"

"That I'd break up with a guy if you didn't get along, Troy," Sharpay said, shaking her head lightly, "But you and Zeke get along just fine, which I'm really happy about, 'cuz right now… you two are some of the most important people in my life. I can't imagine going through the rest of high school without you both there. I don't understand what this is all about."

"Well, what if I didn't get along with him?" Troy asked, crossing his arms firmly across the chest, as he glared her down, "Would you break up with him?"

"That's not even an issue, 'cuz you guys get along just fine, okay? Why are we having this discussion, Troy?"

"Why are you avoiding my question, Sharpay?" he shot back, not blinking.

"Troy, please…" Sharpay begged, "This is ridiculous!"

"Why are you acting so childish, Sharpay?!"

Sharpay dropped her jaw, as anger build up in her again, "CHILDISH?! _I'm_ acting childish!? YOU'RE THE ONE ACTING CHILDISH, TROY _GODDAMNIT_ BOLTON!"

"Would you stop with the yelling!, I can't hear myself think!" Troy yelled back, stomping his foot into the floor, to get his point across.

"Gosh, I think they're both acting childish." Tatiana commented to the two younger girls, as Troy and Sharpay continued their argument.

"Yeah," Tessa agreed, rolling her eyes.

"They act like a couple who have been married for more than 50 years!" Ashlee giggled, and the two other girls giggled along, because they did just that. No wonder the two of them seemed so couple-ish at times. They always acted like it, and some of the things they argued over was just… weird.

They were pulled back into the argument, and away from their thoughts, by Sharpay hitting Troy across the chest, using all her strength, which caused him to stumble backwards and into the stairs, because she was fairly strong.

"Well then!" she said, looking down at him, hands on hips, "If you don't want to listen to me, fine!, mind your own business, I don't care!"

And with those words she turned around and hurried out the front door, making sure to smack it close behind her. Tatiana immediately helped her little brother up, but made sure to give him a hard glare.

"What!?" he just questioned, staring down at his feet.

"Did you have to be so hard on her?" Tatiana asked, shaking her head slightly, "She wanted to apologize Troy, couldn't you see she meant well?" she paused, but when she got no respond, she let out a deep sigh, "…and by the way, you were the one acting most childish."

And then she turned around too, and went into the kitchen with Tessa and Ashlee, to continue their game.

--

Viola, Richard and Ryan were eating brunch, when they heard the front door smack close, and a loud scream, rolling through their mansion. Had it been a really bad cartoon, a vase or a light bulb would definitely have been cracked to pieces.

"I guess Sharpay's home?" Richard suggested, shooting his wife and son a suggestive grin.

They just nodded and continued their brunch, as Sharpay ran up the stairs, stomping her feet into the floor with every step she took. She was screaming in anger, and tears were streaming out of her eyes and down her cheeks. She was so angry, she didn't know how she even made it home. All she wanted was to hit Troy across the head, and hurt him just to make him realize how stupid he was being. But then again, she didn't want to hurt him, so she had settled for a push, and then stormed out of there.

They were both being childish, and stupid and stubborn, but she didn't care. If she couldn't explain to him why she had chosen Zeke for one night, then it was his own choice. It wasn't like she didn't love him anymore, and that she loved Zeke more, because she didn't. Sometimes there was just things she had to do, and he had to realize that she had a life going on as well. The whole argument was stupid in her eyes, and she regretted getting this worked up over it. She was sure, that she'd be embarrassed when she saw him again.

She sat down on her bed, and reached for the remote control to her stereo. She hit play, not caring what was in, and Taylor Swift immediately started playing. She was smiling to herself, when she realized what song it was. _Mary's Song (Oh My, My, My)_. That song reminded her so much of she and Troy, and how they grew up with each other. Their fathers had always joked about the two of them, and their friendship had always been just great. It really brought back memories, and made their fight seem more and more pointless.

_"What are you doing, Twoy?" Sharpay asked, her big brown eyes full of amazement, as she watched her best friend take his shirt off. She still had problems pronouncing her R's and S's after she got her braces on. Troy didn't have braces on. It was just her. She had asked her mother why, and she'd said that she had crooked teeth, and it had to be fixed. Sharpay didn't understand that._

"_What does it look like, Paypay?" Troy asked, as he fumbled with his shorts as well, "I'm gonna go dance in the rain."_

_Sharpay glanced out of the door for a quick moment, staring at the rain falling heavily down from Heaven, "But why arre you undwessing?" _

"_I don't want my clothes to get wet, silly!" Troy laughed, shaking his head. He sometimes wondered if Sharpay was 5 years old as he had just turned, because she definitely didn't act like it at times, "If I go out with it, I'm not gonna have anything dry to put on when I get back in." _

"_But you can't just dance awound in your underwear!" Sharpay argued, fiddling nervously with her overalls as well. What he was doing was absolutely weird, but she still wanted to be a part of it, "Can you?" _

"_I won't," Troy assured her, as he grabbed the waistband of his superman briefs, and pulled down, "I'm gonna dance around naked!" _

"_Eew!" Sharpay quickly said, covering her eyes with her hands, "Don't! Take them oon, again, Twoy!" _

"_No!" he argued, as he reached out to undo the buttons on her overalls, which he did, causing them to fall quickly to the floor from her thin frame._

"_What are you dwoing!?" she shrieked, as she peeked through her fingers, looking him deep in the eyes, "Why are you undwessing me, too?" _

"_Because you're going with me, silly." Troy told her, shaking his head at her, as if she should have known that. _

"_But whyy?" she asked him, finally putting her hands by her sides, motioning to pull her overalls up. _

"_Because it's more fun with you with me."_

_She looked up at him insecurely for a second, before glancing briefly at his 'private possessions', "…but I don't wanna be naked." _

"_It's more fun that way," Troy said, with a light shrug of his shoulders, and a glint in his blue eyes, "Are you coming? We have to go outside before the rain stops." _

_She glanced outside again, before stepping out of her overalls, and then standing up, "Okay then, but your mommy can't see us." She told him, as he helped her pull her tee over her head, leaving her brown curls an even messier mess than they were before, "Promise?" _

"_Of course not. She's busy with dad in the bedroom. I don't know what they're doing, but they're making some weird sounds. They won't hear or see us." Troy promised her, as she got out of her underwear, shyly looking up at him, her cheeks getting read. _

_He glanced at her too, and only now did he get shy too, as she let out a low giggle. _

"_You look nice," he told her. _

_She glanced at him again, "So do you," she replied, before reaching out for his hand. He took it firmly in his, and opened the backdoor, to get into their backyard. The rain was still falling, and they got soaked immediately. Sharpay's hair fell around her face, and Troy reached out to stroke a piece of her fringe out of her eyes. _

"_Wanna dance?" he then asked her, as he turned around in the mud, splashing it everywhere. _

"_Twoy!" she quickly said, staring him down, her piercing brown eyes telling him that she did definitely not approve of getting mud all over her._

"_Come now, Paypay," he said, taking her hand again, "This is fun, let's run." _

_She nodded slightly and then the two of them started to run around in the Boltons backyard, eventually playing catch, where Troy had to catch Sharpay. Then when he did, they both slid in the slippery mud, and ended on their butts in a big pool of mud. They looked at each other for a second, shocked, but then they started laughing, and eventually Troy leaned in to hug Sharpay tightly. _

"_You're my bestest friend, Twoy," she told him, as she reached her hand out and stroked his muddy cheek. _

"_Best friends for ever." Troy said, nodding his head._

"_For ever, and ever," Sharpay promised, kissing his cheek lightly. As she pulled back, they just looked into each others eyes, staring blankly at the other. Suddenly Sharpay reached out, and placed a hand on his cheek, "Can you kiss me, Twoy?" _

_Troy looked a bit unsure of what his answer was to that question, "Why?" _

"_I want you to kiss me." Sharpay stated, her voice getting a weird sound to it, "I dare you to kiss me." _

"_Okay then," Troy sighed, as he went to lean in closer, to plant a chaste kiss on her lips. But before he got that far, Sharpay's eyes went wide, and she rushed from her seat in the mud, and towards their kitchen door. _

_Poor Troy just stared after her, confusedly, before getting up to follow her. _

Sharpay laughed at the memory, as happy tears started streaming down her face. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time, because that little piece of history just made her so happy. Their stupid argument didn't seem to matter at all anymore. It was just plain dumb to be arguing over something like that.

She wiped her tears away and hurried to her desk, quickly scribbling a note down to Troy. It was just a few lines, but she knew it'd trig his memory. And if he couldn't forgive her after that, then she didn't know what to do…

She hurried to the Messenger, and quickly pulled the string, making sure it got safe across, to his window.

--

Troy was sitting still, thinking back at his fight with Sharpay, and what he should have done different, when he heard the Messenger ring. He honestly hadn't expected Sharpay to want to speak with him at all, so that was quite a surprise. But he got off of his bed, and opened the window, to take the little note. As he looked up, she was already gone from the window, so he sat down again, unfolding the note:

" '_Took me back to the house in the backyard tree  
Said you'd beat me up you were bigger than me  
You never did, you never did  
Took me back when our world was one block wide  
I dared you to kiss me and ran when you tried  
Just two kids, you and I  
Oh, my, my, my, my,'_

_- Taylor Swift, Mary's Song (Oh My, My, My)."_

Troy couldn't help but chuckle a little, as he read the verse over one more time. He could feel himself tear up, and he knew just where she was coming from. There were other things. More important things, than one Friday night. He should just be grateful that he had a friend like her.

He quickly reached for his cell on his table, and dialed her number, which he – of course – knew by heart, waiting for her response. Of course he didn't have to wait long – she had been expecting it. And hoped for it with all _her_ heart.

"'You're my bestest friend, Troy' the little curly head said," Troy started, before she could say 'hi', his voice slightly hoarse, "'Best friends forever', the boy promised her with a nod of his head."

"'For ever and ever'," they agreed, their voices as one.

Troy couldn't help but chuckle again, and he could her Sharpay giggle, though it was evident that she was crying as well. He turned to look through his window, and found her already standing there. She waved at him, a bright smile playing on her lips, and he waved back, knowing how foolish he had to look, with a grin of his own.

"…I love you, Troy," Sharpay told him, her voice still quivering.

"I love you too," Troy assured her, "Let's forget about everything, okay? I was stupid."

"I was stupid," Sharpay said, wiping her eyes off with the back of her hand, "Look, can you come over later? We can watch movies, and just… hang out. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too." Troy whispered.

"So can you?"

"I'll be there." He promised, before hanging up the phone, and rushing to get his things together. It was only 10:30am, and her parents were still home. But he couldn't wait to see her. It had been too long since he last did.

* * *

_So there you have it, my dears. This chapter was shorter than how I normally roll, but yeah, I guess this was just it. Normally, it was supposed to like, their whole night and stuff, but I got this idea of how to get them to make up, and it got longer, so I figured cutting off here would be okay? Then I can write about their night in the next chappie. And then there WILL definitely be some Troypay-ness. I already promised you in this chapter, I guess I delivered, kinda, right? I mean it wasn't totally WITHOUT Troypay-ness… It was there, lol._

_So okay? Did I like, tease you with the title of the chapter? Tell me, I hope I did. I hope some of you thought you'd see some Troypay action, but not just yet my dears. It'll be awhile until, 'cuz I have some stuff I need to take care of first, and ideas and such. I really hope I tricked some of you with the title, but if I didn't, then yeah… Hah xD Not much I can do, right? _

_So okay. If any of you have ideas to what they can do in the next chapter, tell me, and I'll consider them. I have a few of my own, but not enough… I think. We'll see. Just if you have any ideas, tell me, and I'll credit you with them. _

_And you know what? Hairdressers are idiots. I went to get my hair cut, like normal people do, and my hairdresser almost cut all my hair off! I had like, really long hair, and then she cut it just above my shoulders, which I have now proved, does not look good on me. I swear, I cried for an hour after I got home. I really miss my hair, but luckily enough (one positive side, people!) I'm a really hat-obsessed person, who wears hats all the time, so I'll just stuff it all up beneath a hat everyday. But yeah. I thought I'd share my misery. And I'm definitely switching hairdressers. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, or Mary's Song (Oh My, My, My). That one is by Taylor Swift, and I really love it. Ah, I love all her songs, so no surprise there, really. _


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Chapter Twelve**

**Kissing in the Pool**

"I made up with Tro-oy, I made up with Tro-oy…" Sharpay softly sang, as she danced her way downstairs, smiling all giddily. She bounced into the kitchen, where her mother was finishing her drink, while her father was getting his stuff together. Ryan was watching them, still eating brunch. It was pancakes, she noticed. She could use some too.

"I see you're happy again now?" Viola asked her daughter, as she placed her empty coffee cup on the table, and stood up, to join her husband.

"Yup," Sharpay brightly said, as she hopped onto a counter chair, grabbing a plate from the middle of the table, and then two pancakes from the stack that stood there too, "It's a great day. The birds are singing, the sun is shining… what's not to be happy about?"

"Well, you certainly seems to be appreciating the good day, huh?" her father replied, before kissing her on the side of her head, "But we're gonna head out now. Say bye to Ash from us, will ya'?"

"Of course, daddy." Sharpay replied, shooting him a sad smile. It was horrible that they were already leaving again, but she knew they had to. She just missed them so much at times, she didn't know what to do with herself. It was sad not having her parents there if she needed them. But then she always had Jack and Lucy. They were her second parents, and she loved them with all her heart.

"Great," Richard said, as he and Viola made their way out of the kitchen, and to the hallways, "Take care kids!" he told them, before the door smacked close.

Sharpay sat in silence for awhile, just staring at the place her father stood two minutes ago, until she finally turned around on her chair, and looked Ryan in the eye. She offered him a smile, and broke the silence; "Look, I know you're mad at me. And I'm sorry. Please tell me what's up with you, Ry? I really want to know."

He seemed to think about it for a second, studying her face hard. He then let out a sigh, and reached his hand out, to grab hers from across the table, "…I want to be mad at you, Paypay. But I need your help. I'm so confused."

"I'm here, Ryan," she promised him, as she to her horror realized how screwed up he had to be feeling. He was almost crying right now. This had to have been bugging him for a very long time, "I'm always here for you, no matter what."

"Promise you won't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you?" Ryan questioned, looking deeply into her eyes.

"Not even Troy?" Sharpay questioned, because she told Troy everything.

Ryan shook his head, "Not even Troy."

"Okay," Sharpay agreed, holding her pinky out for him. He shot her a smile, and linked his pinky with hers. Then he let go of her hand, and leaned himself against his own folded ones, thinking things over in his head.

Sharpay figured she might as well eat her pancakes while he thought about his problem. She didn't want to push, because she was gonna show him what a sister she could be. She was determined to prove she was the best listener ever, even though she knew how she could be a just a liiiittle self-centered at times. But they all still loved her, so she could at least listen to them whenever they had a problem. And Ryan did now.

"Y'know…" he started, and she turned to look at him, ready to listen, "I feel different, Sharpay. I'm not like all the others. Well, I'm like some of them, but not many. There's not many of us at East High. At least I don't believe there is."

She let out a deep sigh, "…I would pretend to give you some great advice, if I knew what you were going on about, Ry. You have to make it more clear for me."

He nodded, and swallowed slightly, "…I just can't get myself to say it out loud, 'cuz I haven't really come to terms with the fact yet… And I'm the one."

"The one what?"

"The one who's crushin' on the boys…" Ryan replied, before lowering his head, not daring to look her in the eye.

"Okay?" Sharpay questioned, arching her eyebrow slightly. She honestly couldn't see what big of a deal that was. Was that the reason he'd been so weird?

"_Okay_?" Ryan asked, looking up at her again, "_Okay_!? Is that all you have to say? A freakin' 'okay'?"

"What do you want me to say, Ryan?" Sharpay asked, shocked by his outburst, "Do you want me to act surprised, and tell you how wrong it is, and that it must be some sort of crises you have? That I've never seen it coming? Honestly, Ryan, I've known you were gay for a long time."

"You've known I was gay?" he asked, confusedness filling his face, as he bit his lip slightly, "…but I didn't even know I was gay? How could you've known when I didn't?"

"Honestly, Ryan…" Sharpay said, resisting to roll her eyes, "Look at you, okay? You're a bit feminine, so I figured you'd be. But that's okay… Didn't you realize it before? Did you just figure it out now? Is that really the reason you've been so distressed…?"

"Yes!" he exclaimed, jumping down from his counter chair, "I've been freaking out, Sharpay! I keep thinking something is wrong with me! I don't understand… I'm so messed up."

"No, you're not," Sharpay told him, as she wrapped her arms around him, and hugged him tight, "You're completely normal. How come you've been thinking so much about this?"

"I've been confused…" Ryan replied, taking in the scent of her coconutty shampoo, while he hugged her to death, "…there's this guy, really. He's sending me some signals. The signals Kelsi used to send me when we were younger and she liked me. And I'm finding myself… well, wanting to 'signal' back."

Sharpay pulled away from the hug, and laughed, a smile coming onto her face, "Then do. Signal all you want. Who's this guy?"

"Keep it a secret?"

"Of course."

"Well… Tobias, really."

"Tobias?" Sharpay asked, arching a confused eyebrow, "From the art club?"

"Yeah…"

Sharpay took the news in, as she thought about what Troy had told her a couple of days ago. Something didn't seem quite right there. Troy had said that Tobias had several pictures of her hanging in his locker. Why would he have that if he liked Ryan?

"Hmm, that's weird," she said, looking Ryan in the eye.

"What is?" he asked, "I'm sorry, but I just… I like him, actually. A lot. Is that wrong?"

"Nono," Sharpay quickly assured him, still caught up in her own thoughts, "…so are you going to ask him out or something?"

"I'm not quite sure how to go around that one." Ryan admitted, "And shouldn't I tell mom and dad?"

"If you ever start dating a boy, you can tell them," Sharpay said, shrugging her shoulders lightly, "But first you have to ask him out. Just calm down, Ryan. It'll all work out, I promise you that."

"Okay," Ryan agreed, comforted by the secure tone in Sharpay's voice. He really believed it'd be okay now. He was just so glad to get it off of his chest. He almost couldn't have handled it any longer. Not on his own, "Thank you sis."

"I'm always here," she said, enveloping him in another hug, "You can always talk to me, okay? I'm here for you, right? Always."

"Yeah," he said, pulling back, "Thanks."

"Always," she just repeated, before skipping up the stairs to her room, thoughts of Ryan and Tobias floating through her brain. She'd have to investigate a little on Monday. She had to see what was up with that Tobias guy…

--

Sharpay was picking out what skirt to wear for her night with Troy, scanning over all the different ones she'd collected through the years. Well, most of them were either too small or _so_ last year. She really ought to sort out her clothes one of these days. If she threw some of it out, she had reasons to buy some new!

It was either a jeans skirt, or a black one with a white belt. She picked the jeans one out, and went into her room again, just as an really old, but great song came on the radio, and she jumped onto her bed, singing along to _Sk8er Boi_. She really didn't have time for this. Troy was right on the steps, but she couldn't help herself.

"_He was a boy, She was a girl, Can I make it anymore obvious?_" she giggled an jumped down from her bed, taking off the sweatpants she was wearing before, _"He was a punk, And she did ballet, What more can I say?_"

The song continued, and she danced around, humming along. It was one of the great things about being a girl. She was allowed to turn up the music and dance around in her underwear. It was awesome, she'd never trade that for anything.

As the chorus came on, she grabbed a hairbrush and sang into it, her voice totally overshadowing the music; "_He was a sk8er boi she said see ya later boi, He wasn't good enough for her, She had a pretty face but her head was up in space, She needed to come back down to earth…"_

Just then the song was cut off, and she turned around, confused, only to come face to face with Troy.

"You have a nice ass Sharpay, but I'd prefer it, if you kept it covered up." Troy chuckled, as he tried to look her in the eye, without laughing completely, "That little red thong is not doing a very good job of keeping track of you butt, is it?"

"Whoops!" Sharpay giggled, as she threw her hairbrush on the bed, and grabbed her skirt, quickly taking it on, "What are you doing here already?"

"I'm right on time, and Ryan let me in, silly!" Troy said, as he threw himself onto the bed, looking at her, with an arched eyebrow.

"Gosh, time does fly when you're having fun!" Sharpay giggled, as she threw herself onto Troy, staring down at him, "Hi…" she whispered, kissing his nose lightly.

"Hi-hi!" Troy said, staring down at her, his blue eyes looking straightly into her brown ones.

Sharpay watched him for a second, studying his face, "…I've really missed you." She stated, a smile coming onto her lips.

"Me too," Troy nodded.

Sharpay leaned down slightly and planted a sweet, short kiss on his lips, "Let's not ever fight again!" she told him, before she rolled off of him, and wrapped her arms around his stomach, snuggling into her favourite position, her head buried in his neck.

Troy let out a content sigh, and leaned down to kiss her on top of the head, before resting himself. This was what he'd really missed. When they hadn't spoken to each other, all their intimate moments – like these – were gone, and he always had a hard time dealing with that. He was kinda addicted to her, and having her body close to his. It was a feeling he needed to have, otherwise he would lose his mind, he was sure of it.

After some time, Sharpay yawned slightly, and snuggled even closer to him, if that was possible, "What time is it?"

"It's-" Troy turned his head, and checked the watch, "Gosh, it's already 5:30, we ought to get some dinner soon, right?"

Sharpay immediately woke up, as she got an idea, "I say we make some! Uh!" she jumped out of the bed, and stared down at him, "Mac 'n' Cheese! We could make some!"

"Okay…" Troy chuckled, getting out of bed too, even though he'd much rather have kept lying there, ignoring his grumbling stomach, "Whatever floats your boat, Paypay!"

"Yay!" Sharpay exclaimed, as she jumped onto his back, and took him by surprise. He quickly caught on though, and took a good hold on her, "Piggyback ride?" she pouted, into his ear.

"I think you already are," Troy said, as he hurried out of her room, and down the stairs. They arrived in the kitchen, where Ryan was sitting by the counter, eating an apple. Troy placed Sharpay on the counter, as well, and immediately went to the cupboard he knew held what they were searching for.

"Aw, it's good to see the two of you have made up!" Ryan said, dramatically placing a hand on his heart, "The two _luvahs_ are greeeeat!"

"Shuddup Ryan!" Sharpay said, hitting his hand, so his apple flew out of it, and ended with a splash on the floor.

"Eeewe," Ryan said, disgustingly looking at his sister, "Lick it up, Sharpay!"

"Nooo!" She whined, shaking her head.

"Do it!" Ryan said, pointing at the smashed apple, "You're the reason it's lying there! Lick it up!"

"Noooo!" she said again, biting her lip. Then she turned to Troy, and shot him a sweet smile, "You do it for me, Troy-boy?"

"No way." Troy said, trying to heat some of their dinner.

"Pretty pleaaase!?" Sharpay tried again, sticking out her lower lip in a pout. Normally Troy couldn't resist it, but this time he put his foot down. He kept shaking his head, and turned away from her, cooking dinner.

Ryan let out a deep breath, "You better figure something out, 'cuz that apple has to be gone when I get home!"

"Where are you going?" Sharpay asked, her eyes following Ryan's form, as he went into the hallway, out of sight.

He popped his head back in, with a cheesy smile, "Going out with some of the buys. I dunno when I'll be home. Ash is sleeping next door."

And then he was gone again, so Sharpay lost her jaw, and jumped down from the counter, and onto the table next to where Troy was standing, "I can't believe him! It's his apple!"

"Yeah, but you made it fall." Troy said, speaking the obvious.

Sharpay rolled her eyes, and dismissed the subject, "Yeah, yeah." She paused, and studied him cooking for a second, "You know what I wanna try someday?"

"No?" Troy questioned, looking up at her.

"Kitchen sex." Sharpay replied, deeply serious.

Troy coughed for a second, before turning to her completely, "Thanks for that picture while I'm cooking, Shar! I really don't want images of you and Zeke having sex in this kitchen, while I'm standing here, forever stuck in my brain."

Sharpay looked confused, "…who said anything about Zeke?"

Troy was frozen for a second, before Sharpay winked at him, and broke into a fit of giggles. Troy soon joined her, awkwardly chuckling along, while he tried to focus on the cooking he was doing. It was done soon.

"…anyways," Sharpay mumbled, wiping a tear from her cheek, "How's it going in the girl-department? Y'know you're single now, right? You're allowed to check the fields and have smutty dreams of you having sex with some hot girl." She paused for a second, before pointing at herself, "…moi."

And then she laughed again, and Troy just shook his head. How he wished he could say, 'Oh, you're right', and then attack her lips with his, and have crazy-kinda kitchen sex with her, just as she wanted. He could show her just how amazing it could be, far better than with Zeke!

Sharpay started humming a song, and he grabbed two bowls, scooping a lot of Mac 'n' Cheese into both of them, before getting two spoons. He handed Sharpay one bowl, and helped her down, before they made their way upstairs, forgetting about the smashed apple.

"Wanna watch a movie while we eat?" Sharpay asked him, but she didn't wait for his answer, she simply grabbed the closest DVD she could find, and plopped it into the DVD player, pressing play. She then sat down next to Troy on her sofa, and leaned up against him, while they started eating.

The movie soon started playing, and they realized it was _Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire_. Sharpay would never admit it to anyone, (except Troy, because he had figured her out a long time ago) but she was a huge Harry Potter fan. She'd read the books several times, and the movies were watched more times than any other movie. Troy thought it was cute, that the Drama Queen, the Ice Princess, was so obsessed with something a lot of other students found ridiculous and childish. But that was what made her so cute, and he didn't mind watching the movies with her. He'd even read the books, because she had forced him.

They were done with their food in no time, and placed the empty bowls on the floor, just watching the movie. When it was over, they kept in place, just talking to each other about this and that. They loved just being with each other, enjoying the best company in the world.

Suddenly Sharpay turned to him, a smock smile playing on her lips, "I'm bored. Can't we do anything?"

"Judging by your smile, you already have an idea?" Troy questioned, studying her smile again, because it was her mischievous one. She had plans…

"Yeah, okay," she continued, the smile never leaving her face, "I want to go swimming!"

"But it's …" Troy paused, checking his watch, "It's 9:23! Don't you think we ought to stay inside?"

"No!" Sharpay said, standing up from her seat in the sofa, "Let's just put on our bathing suits and go splash around in my pool? Are you coming on your own, or do I have to force you?"

Troy gave in, because he knew he couldn't win this argument, "I'm coming, I'm coming." He said, standing up, "Where's my trunks again?"

"Somewhere in my dresser…" Sharpay brushed him off, as she went into her bathroom, "Look for them, while I change, okay?" and then she closed the door, and Troy was left alone.

Sharpay had a pretty big dresser. Several big dressers. How was he supposed to find his bathing trunks in all her crap-_cough, cough_-clothes? He crossed the floor, and opened the first one, coming to face with all her socks. He couldn't help but chuckle. Sharpay was the only one he knew who would wear pink socks, y'know, at their age. He closed the drawer, and went to look into the one, who held his bathing trunks the last time he needed it.

But he paused again, when he'd opened it. It definitely _didn't_ hold his trunks. Sharpay must have reorganised, because he came face to face with Sharpay's lingerie. He couldn't help but be curious. He was a guy after all, and he just discovered his best friend's lingerie. Who wouldn't look?

He picked up a black bra, and held it out for himself, studying it closer. He knew she didn't have the most filled-out body, like some other girls. She didn't have curves like Gabriella, and she didn't have the biggest boobs, but he loved everything about her. Forgive him for noticing these things, he couldn't help it. And the bra looked good. Gosh, he couldn't help but think about what it'd be like to take it _off _her someday, maybe. If he was lucky.

He stuffed the bra down again, with the intentions of closing the drawer to find his trunks, but then… There was a thong. It was very similar to the one she was wearing earlier, and he couldn't help but want to look. But then when he was about to pick it up, he stopped himself.

_Stop it, Troy!_, he argued with himself, _What wouldn't she say if she saw you doing this? You're going through her personal stuff. Let it go. Keep your hopes up, maybe you will see her underwear someday. Maybe, if you're lucky. C'mon, close the drawer… _He closed it with a sigh, _…there you go, that wasn't so hard, now was it? Hmm, then ask Sharpay where your trunks are!_

"Payday?! Where are my trunks?"

_There you go. _

He heard her fiddle around for a second, before she opened the door, peaking in through the frame, obviously not dressed yet, otherwise she would have come out, "Gosh!" she said, giggling, "I can't believe they were in here the entire time!" she threw them out, and they hit him on the head, "Sorry! I'll be right out!", and then she closed the door again.

Troy chuckled awkwardly for a second, before slipping out of his shorts, and into his trunks. Then he pulled his t-shirt over his head, and sat down on the bed, waiting for Sharpay to re-emerge.

--

"Water bomb!" Sharpay squealed, as she ran towards the edge of the pool, and jumped straight in, splashing water everywhere. She surfaced, and shot Troy a cheesy grin from the pool.

"Shhy!" Troy told her, slowly going down the steps, "Some people are asleep at 10 in the night, you know?"

"They are?" Sharpay questioned, swimming towards him, "Why?"

"You're stupid, you know that, right?" Troy asked her, before wrapping his arms around her waist. He lifted her up, and threw her into the deep end, her squealing laughter echoing through the backyard.

"Troy Matthew Bolton!" she hissed, as she swam towards him again, jumping onto his shoulders, to push him underwater. He struggled greatly against her force, but she was higher up than him, so she eventually won, and he gave away beneath her, and swam through her slightly parted legs, coming up behind her. He covered her eyes with his hands, and blew lightly against her shoulder, making her shiver slightly.

"Oh…" she said, turning around to look at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he hugged her close to him, their foreheads touching, "I love you, Troy… I really do."

"I love you too…" Troy promised her, a small smile gracing his face, "You're so wonderfully weird. I wouldn't know what to do without you. You make my life much more fun."

"Same," Sharpay told him, before pulling his head in for a deep kiss, their lips exploring the other's. She parted her mouth a little, and let his begging tongue slip in, before whimpering slightly, and then pulling away. They'd never made out like that before. Only chaste kisses on the lips, never using tongues. It was a new experience.

She looked him in the eye for a second, before going back in for more. She slipped him her tongue almost immediately, and was happy that he kissed her back. She tightened her grip around his neck, and could feel his hands gripping tighter around her waist. She explored his mouth for a bit, kissing him like she'd never done before, until she pulled back, and supported herself better against his shoulders, her chin resting on top of his head.

Troy was breathing heavily down there, before he poked her in the rib, whispering, "You have a great boobs Sharpay, but no point in forcing them into my face, y'know?"

She looked down, and realized her chest was right in his face, so she let go of him, and slipped into the water, so they were face to face again. They stared at each other for a second, searching the other's eyes. Sharpay's heartbeat was beating fast like hell, and she didn't know how they even ended up there. Troy's was beating like that too, but his stomach was also filled with butterflies. How he wished that kiss hadn't just been a onetime thing. He wished to be able to kiss her like that everyday. But he knew he couldn't…

He blinked and then shot her a small smile, deciding to play it cool, "What wouldn't Zeke say if he saw you making out with other boys like that?" he chuckled awkwardly.

Sharpay's face grew even more serious, as a frown came upon her gorgeous features, "That's not even funny Troy." She told him, as she swam towards the edge, getting out of the pool, "I don't even know what happened, and then you go and mention my boyfriend… You won't tell him, right?"

Troy felt bad for a second, seeing how worked up she suddenly was, and he swam to the edge, to get out of the water as well, "…no." he replied, quickly standing up, to look her in the eyes, "Of course I won't. We've kissed plenty of times before, Sharpay. I've never told him before. What's the different from then to now?"

"We've never kissed like that," she whimpered, and he wasn't quite sure if she was crying tears or not, because she was all wet.

"Shhy, don't worry," he whispered, placing his arms around her, "Calm down, Paypay. It's just a kiss. It's okay. There's nothing to worry about. Let's go inside, get dry and watch more movies, alright?"

"Okay…" she whispered, finally looking up to lock eyes with him, "…I'm sorry Troy, I just got a little carried away. It won't happen again, I promise."

"Don't worry, it was nice…" Troy assured her, not wanting to admit just _how _nice it had been, "C'mon!" he grabbed her hand, and they slowly started walking towards the house. He could still feel Sharpay acting different, and she was a bit stiff. He really had to loosen her up, "It's okay, Paypay. Listen to me… We're fine. I'm fine."

She looked up at him, before wiping her cheeks, "It's alright, Troy…" she whispered, her voice cracking, "It's just, kissing you like that brought back all that old… All the stuff I forgot, and just… suppressed, and now I'm like… feeling weird, 'cuz you're my best friend. And I love you. And Zeke… He's great. And then all that other stuff, and I just-"

Troy cut her off before she could continue further, "You're ranting, Shar. I have no idea what you're going on about. Just calm down, and go change into your PJs. I'm gonna find some cookies after I've changed, and you can find a movie." He paused, and looked her in the eye, as they stood in the hallway to the bathroom, "Deal?"

"Yeah okay," she sniffed, before hurrying into her bathroom, closing the door smack behind her. Troy grabbed his clothes, and then went down the hall to one of the other bathrooms. He dried himself off, and changed, while thinking things over.

That had been so weird. Ah, the kiss had been AMAZING. Of course it had, and Sharpay was a really great kisser. But then afterwards… She had been acting really strange. He had no idea what she had been going on about. He was so confused. He knew he shouldn't be kissing girls with boyfriends, but she had started it, and who was he to resist? That would have just hurt her, and he'd never hurt her. And even though he knew it would make it harder to get over her, he couldn't help himself when she was offering to play tonsil-hockey with him.

He quickly went downstairs and grabbed some cookies, before going into her room again. She was putting on _School of Rock_, and they settled down on the sofa. She was completely fine now, he noticed. She probably didn't want to ever mention their encounter again, and he let her have her way. She just settled up against him, resting her head on his chest, while he placed his hands around her waist.

The movie started playing, and Sharpay seemed to be getting more and more sleepy. She was breathing pretty evenly, and he wondered if she really was asleep. He was just watching the movie intensely, because if he didn't occupy his brain, he'd think about their kiss instead.

After awhile of silence, Sharpay suddenly broke it; "You're doing it, Troy!"

"What?" he asked, surprisingly looking down at her. He had been so sure that she was sleeping.

Her head was bowed back, so she could watch him, her brown eyes digging into his blue ones, "You're not breathing. I can't even feel your chest move."

"I'm breathing!" Troy told her.

"No, I can't feel it!"

"But I am!"

"Could you please breathe like a normal person then?" she asked him, turning around to look at him, a hard glare in her eyes.

He chuckled, and shot her a teasing smile, "I can try, Payday… Anything for you, you know that."

"Thank you," she replied, before turning around again, getting comfy in his arms.

He brushed a piece of her hair out of her eyes, and kissed her on top of her head, "You're welcome."

* * *

_Ta-daah! What do you say? Was that good enough? I wrote a long chapter, to make up for the shortness of the last chapter! And there was Troypay, right? You all saw it, didn't you? I promised, so here it was! I hope it's enough to keep you all reading for now. I'll try to update the next chapter soon too! Please remember to review. _ _**Dedication; **__The famazing Bethany! Thank you for helping me make out the difference between 'all right' and 'alright'. I was really confuzzled. I love you loads, my dear! And I hope you liked this chapter, since it was all for you!… and I know you like DracoxHermione too. I'm glad I'm not alone! Lol. _


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen **

**Sundays Rock**

"'Morning, sunshines!" Ryan cheered, as he made his way into Sharpay's room, pulling the drapes apart, and letting the sun stream through her window. He opened it up as well, feeling the cold morning air as it brushed against his face, before turning around to look at Troy and Sharpay, who had barely acknowledged his presence. They were sleeping tight, Sharpay almost lying on top of Troy, her head resting on his chest.

He made his way across the room, and kneeled down in front of them, studying their peaceful faces. Sharpay had a smile on her face, as she held on tightly to Troy, while Troy had a very content smile on his face too, his fingers brushing through Sharpay's hair. He wasn't really awake, he was doing in unconsciously, Ryan had caught him doing that before.

Ryan stood up again, and went to Sharpay's shelf. He then picked out a rather good-looking bicycle horn, shaped as a bunny, from when Sharpay was little. He then turned to them, and blew it a couple of times, rushing out of there, before he could see their reactions.

Sharpay jumped awake, landed on the armrest of her couch, and after that sliding off of it, landing with a thud on the floor. Troy, startled by the sounds of everything, quickly sat up, and looked around, as if to trying to remember where he was, and what he was doing.

Only seconds after that, Sharpay's confused face appeared behind the armrest, her eyes slowly peeking over the soft material. Troy stared at her for a second, before he managed to speak; "G'morning."

"Hey…" Sharpay said, slowly standing up, to get a better seat on the couch. She chose the far end though, as far away from Troy as possible, "…did you sleep well?"

"Yeah," Troy agreed, awkwardly scratching his head. She had an odd edge to her voice, and he didn't understand why. What could he have possible done? He definitely hadn't had any dreams with her that night, that was for sure. The only thing he could think of, that could bother her, was what happened between them last night. But they had taken care of that… right?

Sharpay stared at him for a few seconds, studying his face. Then she let out a breath, she didn't know, she'd been holding, and stood up, to go find her clothes. Before she was able to leave the room though, Troy grabbed her wrist. She turned around, staring him down.

"What's up with you?" he asked, letting his thumb stroke across the back of her hand, "You're acting weird. Is this about last night? I thought we were over that?"

"We are!" Sharpay said, her voice getting and oddly high octave, which didn't help her convince him, "We are, Troy, I promise you. Nothing's changed between us."

"But you're acting different… Why?"

"Look," she said, taking her arm out of his grip, while looking him in the eye, "I've just been… I mean… I woke up in the middle of the night, and then I couldn't sleep again. I was thinking over what happened, and I dunno… It just made me feel weird. I want to just forget it, 'cuz it didn't mean anything. I'm sorry."

"Calm down, Shar," Troy said, swallowing hard, "We were caught up in everything. Forget it. You're in love with Zeke, it was just a friendly kiss. Nothing more."

"Nothing more?" Sharpay questioned, sounding very childish. Like, she was a little girl, asking her mother of something. Troy found it all very odd. He didn't know how to deal with an insecure Sharpay. She was never insecure. She was one of the most secure people he knew. She always had control of everything. How come this had such an effect on her…?

"No…" he assured her, locking eyes with her.

She let out a deep breath, and lowered her gaze to the floor, not answering.

"Why are you acting this way Sharpay? You never used to!"

And then she started crying. Small tears streamed down her cheeks, and Troy got quite scared at that fact. At first he didn't know what to do, but then he came to his senses, and enveloped her in a deep hug. He hugged her so close to his chest, wanting to reassure her, or help her feel better. He didn't really understand what was up with her though, but… He could at least try to help her. He was her best friend after all.

"I'm sorry…" she sniffed, burying her head into his shoulder.

He pulled back, and looked her in the eye, quickly brushing a tear away from her damp cheek, "…where's the Sharpay I know?"

"She has gone on vacation!" Sharpay said, giggling slightly, while a few drops of tears were still in her eyes.

Troy chuckled with her, and brushed them away completely, "Great… Now, listen up, Paypay;" he paused, and took a deep breath. This was hard for him to say, but her comfort and happiness mattered most, "It was a nice kiss and all, Paypay, but I don't want anything to be weird between us. I love you, and I guess right then a kiss was the best way to reassure you of everything I feel. But it can't happen like that again. Brief kisses on the mouth is okay, and hugs is as well. But you're really dating Zeke, so it wouldn't be right, see?"

"I know," she nodded, a smile creeping onto her face, "Thanks Troy, you always make me feel better. And it wouldn't be right with Zeke. It's like cheating on him. And I love him."

"Then let's forget all this now, and have another fun day before we have to be tortured at school again, for another week?"

"Yes!" Sharpay agreed, and grabbed his hand, "Let's have some breakfast! Uh, uh!!! I'm thinking coco pops!"

Troy chuckled again, and let her drag him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

--

"Oh no!" Tessa exclaimed, as she threw her cards onto the table, laughing like crazy, "I can't believe I did that! Gosh! How could I not tell it was poker-face!?"

"'Cuz I'm freaking brilliant!" Sharpay smiled, taking her reward.

"You always keep a straight face!" Troy murmured, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, placing a short kiss there, before pulling back.

"Well, you know how I roll…" Sharpay whispered, before placing her cards on the table as well, and stretching her arms out, "…anyway, I'm seriously tired of this game. What do you wanna do now?"

"SWIM!" Ashlee exclaimed, jumping up from her seat, "We're so gonna jump into the pool before the weather starts getting too cold! What do you say, Tessa? Are you up for it?"

"Uhm, my leg is broken," Tessa stated, as she lifted her leg slightly, to get her point across.

"Then how about we go play Playstation 2?" Ashlee suggested, looking at her best friend, "I just got a new, cool game from mom and dad when they were home yesterday. Want to try it out?"

"Hell yeah!" Tessa exclaimed, as she got up from her seat, and grabbed her crutches.

Tessa always tried out the new games Ashlee got from her parents. And she got a lot of games, because Richard and Viola Evans always bought presents for their three kids when they got home from their trips. It was their way to show their kids that they still cared for them and loved them. It was to reassure their kids they would always be back home. And also to make sure that the kids didn't get mad at them, for never being there, and for being so bad parents. But the kids really didn't mind that much. Of course they missed their parents, but they had the Boltons for parental advice if needed. And the presents were okay too, of course.

"I'll be back home later!" Sharpay yelled after the two girls, as they left the house, the door slamming behind them.

Troy laughed slightly, and placed the cards back into the box, while Sharpay hummed softly to herself, as she studied her nails. When he had packed the cards, he leaned back in the chair, and stretched his arms out, letting a yawn play over his lips.

"Tired, Troy-boy?" Sharpay giggled, padding his stomach gently. She had made her mind up this morning during breakfast. She didn't want to let their mistake come between them. She wanted to pretend it never happened, for the sake of their friendship. It was far better that way, she had decided.

"Just a bit…" Troy chuckled, turning his head to look at her, a smile on his lips, "You always wear me out when we spend time together, Payday. I get so tired."

"Go home and whine."

"I am home."

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbled, brushing him off. She stood up from her seat, and pushed her chair in, and then she grabbed her glass and strutted into the kitchen, leaving Troy alone. She was met by Lucy and a whole lot of picture books, with old pictures lying all over the kitchen table.

"Hey honey," Lucy said, looking up from her doings, "What are you up to?"

"Not much," Sharpay replied, stopping by the sink to rinse her glass, and then when she was done, she placed it on the table there, "What about you?"

"If you're not busy you could join." Lucy said, pulling a chair out for her favourite Sharpay-girl, "I'm looking at old pictures. From your childhood, and also from mine and your parents' childhoods. It's really funny to remember."

"Cool," Sharpay said, excitingly sitting down on the chair Lucy pulled out for her, "I wanna watch!"

"TROY!?" Lucy hollered, turning her head towards the living room entrance, "COMING?!"

"What?" he muttered, making his way to the door, looking at them like they were two mad women. His chestnut hair was lazily thrown to the side, just the way Sharpay loved it, and his mother hated it. If she got her way, Troy would have really short hair.

"Come join, Mr. Bolton," Sharpay said, padding her lap, because the other chairs were filled with old photo folios, "We're looking at baby pictures!" she grabbed the one in front of her, and waved it slightly, so he couldn't see it, "…you as a very cute, but also very naked baby-boy!"

Troy quickly crossed the floor, and curiously looked down at the picture, which disappointed Sharpay. It wasn't the freaked out reaction she would have loved to see, he was just very calm, "Oh, that's cute…" he muttered, taking it from her, "…but that's not me. It's you!"

She grabbed the picture back, her eyes wide, "Oh God, it is!"

"Haha!" he teased her, sticking his tongue out, "You really look like your mom."

"Yeah," she muttered, sending him an angry glare, "And you look like shit!"

"Oh," Troy said, sending her a teasing smile, "Oh no, you didn't. You did not just say that."

"I think I just did."

"Get up!" he demanded, hands on hips, "Get up now."

"Keep dreaming, shit-boy."

"Up!"

"No!"

The two continued their rant, while Lucy watched, amused. She didn't know how the two of them were so great friends. They argued a lot, and they insulted each other one moment, before kissing each other the next. She didn't understand their relationship, because it was really a love/hate one. She just hoped they would never fight again, like they'd done this Friday. It had only been for a short time, but it affected the whole family. Sharpay was family. They were all one big family. They couldn't fight.

"…not at all!" Sharpay finished, slamming her fist into the table.

"That's it," Troy mumbled, a very determined tone in his voice, "That's it, if you won't listen to me, I only have one choice to make. I cannot listen to this anymore, I have to… I'm gonna have to…" he paused, and pretended that he had a lot of trouble saying this, "-tickle you." he swallowed.

And before she knew what was happening, he grabbed her by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder, his right hand tickling her side. She screamed and giggled, as he turned around in a circle, making her dizzy. Lucy laughed as well, shaking her head slightly in disbelief of the two. They were so silly.

"Put me down!" Sharpay giggled, hitting him lightly on his back, to get her point across.

Troy chuckled, and sat down on the chair, turning her around as well, so she was sitting firmly on his back. She giggled a little, her cheeks a deep pink, as she turned back and rested her back against his chest. His arms circled around her waist, and he placed his chin on her shoulder.

Lucy shot them a questionable look, an eyebrow raised.

"We're ready to look at pictures now, I swear…" Sharpay told her, but she couldn't hide a giggle.

Lucy laughed again, and let out a deep sigh. She grabbed a picture and held it up for them. Sharpay immediately broke into an 'aw', while Troy grabbed the picture to study it closer. It was the two of them, around 7 years old, maybe 8 or 9. They were sitting on a bench in the park, and Troy was kissing her cheek.

Her cheeks were red, and her curly hair was held back by a buckle, while he was wearing a cap, and a basketball jersey. They looked so adorable, that words almost couldn't describe it.

"Aw, look at us!" Sharpay said, her voice low and sweet.

"We're cute," Troy replied, kissing her cheek lightly, like in the picture. He then placed the picture down on the table again, and Sharpay jumped off of him.

She went for the door, "Anyway, I'm gonna go home. Thanks for everything. I'll talk to you later, Troy?"

"Yeah, yeah, bet on it."

"See ya'." She mumbled, before she left the house.

--

Sharpay was sitting by Ashlee's bed, watching as her little sister, slowly started to sleep. Her eyelids were falling shut, and her breathing was getting even. She turned around on the mattress, and hugged her pillow closer. Sharpay just let a smile out, and pulled the cover closer around Ashlee's body, to keep her warm.

"Night Ash…" she whispered, kissing her forehead, "Sleep tight."

Ashlee didn't answer, she just mumbled some sounds, that Sharpay couldn't make out, and therefore Sharpay stood up, and quietly left the room. She closed the door behind her, and made her way downstairs, and into the kitchen, where Ryan was eating some night snack, before heading to bed.

Sharpay let out a yawn, as she sat down too, grabbing an orange from the bowl on the table.

"Tired?" Ryan asked, munching away on his coco pops. It was the Evans twins' absolute favourite cereal.

"Beyond," Sharpay replied, as she started to peel off the peel, "And I feel like shit, yeah." She paused, and locked eyes with him, "I think I'm coming down with something. My head is aching, and my throat is burning. Plus," she added, with a lick on her lips, "I'm feeling all weird in my stomach."

Ryan shrugged, "That's what you get for jumping in the pool in the middle of the night, during this time of year."

Sharpay froze and stared at him, "What are you talking about?"

"You and Troy's little pool-party last night?" Ryan said, stating the obvious, "It may have been romantic, and all fun, but it's not the best for your health."

"Shut up," she said, taking a bite of her orange. But it was sour, so she scrunched her face up in distaste, "We were bathing. It was fun, nothing romantic about that at all."

"Well, it certainly didn't look that way with all the kissing you did."

"How did you know that!?" Sharpay shrieked, slamming her palms into the counter.

"I didn't," Ryan teased, his eyes shining, "But now I do."

"I hate you!" Sharpay mumbled, rolling her eyes.

"Calm down," Ryan said, "When I got home last night, and went to lock the kitchen door, I heard you two out there, so I looked out, and caught you and Troy in the middle of a heavy make-out session. What happened?"

"Nothing," Sharpay said, as she stood up, to throw the sour orange in the garbage, "It didn't mean anything. It was a mistake. That was what he said."

Ryan looked up from his now empty bowl, letting out a deep sigh, "Why are you doing this to yourself, sis?" he asked, concerned, "You're setting yourself up for the same stuff all over again."

She turned around from the sink, and looked at him, her eyes sad, "I dunno why… But it's not like that, bro. We're cool, Troy and I. We're friends, you know that. It was a one-time kiss, so it's not like it's gonna happen again. We're cool, Ry…"

He stood up, and made his way across the room, wrapping his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest, "I just don't want you to get hurt, Shar… I want you to be okay, I want you to be happy. You're my favourite twin sister."

"I'm your only twin sister," Sharpay whispered, moved by the confession though. Her face was buried in his chest, and she loved his strong arms around her. They were almost better than Troy's. But only almost.

"Yeah…" Ryan said, kissing her head, "But even if had a million, I knew you'd still be my favourite."

Sharpay giggled slightly and pulled away from him, a smile on her lips, "So, who were you with yesterday?"

"Tobias and a few of the guys." Ryan confessed, his arms still on her shoulders.

"Oh, did anything happen?" Sharpay asked, immediately cheering up by the thought that Ryan might have had a good evening with the boy he liked. She was also sure that they'd make the perfect couple.

"Nah," Ryan said, jumping onto the kitchen table, to continue their chat, "I think there's something going on between us, though. I just dunno how to go around about it. I'm a bit nervous."

"It's gonna be okay," Sharpay reassured him, planting a kiss on his cheek, "Anyway, I'm gonna go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah, sweet dreams." Ryan replied, as he jumped down of the table.

"Sweet dreams." She said, as she bounced up the stairs and into her room. Luckily she didn't have any homework to do. She just wanted to get into bed, and hopefully sleep this flu out, before it really broke into something. She couldn't afford staying home from school tomorrow. She had a plan to do.

And that plan involved her favourite twin brother, and a certain Tobias from the art club.

* * *

_So sorry about the time-delay and the short, crappy chapter. I'm sick, AGAIN, and I've had like a ton of homework after school started again. I'm gonna try and update next chapter quicker, and hopefully I won't get stuck again, like I did in this. I have a few one-shots I need to get out of my system, though, so maybe it's gonna take awhile for me to get next chapter written. Sorry, 'cuz I don't wanna keep you guys waiting, but my system is like… over-flowing with three or four ideas – all one-shots though – so they need to be written sometime in the near future. I hope it's okay._

_**Dedication; **__Pennia, my cool girlie. __Jeg elsker også dig. __Haha, and that means I love you too. But you already know that. Hah ;d I hope you liked this chapter!_

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical. _


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

**Make Ups and More**

Sharpay yawned for the umpteenth time, as she stared at her appearance in the mirror, which was taped to the back of her locker door. She hated how she looked today, but she couldn't really do much about it. Her hair was thrown back in a messy bun, she was wearing sweatpants and had minimal makeup on. She felt like shit, and therefore didn't have the strength to beauty herself up. School was only for 8 hours today, so she'd go home and rest. If she still felt like this tomorrow, she'd definitely stay home from school.

She could see Zeke approaching her from behind, so she closed her locker and turned to greet him, a smile on her face. He smiled at her too, and enveloped her in a big hug. But as he went for her lips, she placed a hand on his mouth.

"Stop right there, big boy…" she giggled, as she let her hand slide down his arm, and to his hand, "I'm not feeling well, and I don't want you to catch whatever it is that I'm having, okay?"

He looked disappointed for a minute, but as he studied her closer, he realized she really didn't look well, and the thought of getting sick, and then having to stay home, really wasn't that appealing to him, "…fine."

"Great," she said, as they started to walk down the hallway, and to homeroom, even though there was awhile until the bell rang, "How was your weekend, well yeah, after I left?"

"It was okay, I missed you though."

"Aw, I missed you too…" Sharpay said, carefully resting her head on his shoulder, "But I made up with Troy, and hung out with him all yesterday. It was fun."

"That's great then," Zeke said, as he nuzzled her hand in his, "When can you get together again? This weekend, maybe? I'm sorta, y'know, in the need of some good ole Sharpay-loving."

"I can, if I'm not sick." Sharpay replied, "Plus," she added, with a teasing grin, her eyes hinting something else, "My time of the month is over, so it's all perfect."

Zeke seemed to catch the hint, because he broke into a wide grin, and Sharpay couldn't help but giggle as well. They continued down the hall, goofing off with each other, but when Sharpay saw Tobias' locker in the distance, with his presence, she told Zeke to go ahead, so she could talk to him. Zeke obeyed without any complaints, so she made her way towards Tobias, from behind, hoping to catch him alone. She was in luck, because all his friends were leaving.

As she came closer, she saw him fixing his hair in a little mirror, he had in his hands, and paused when she realized Troy had told her the truth. His locker was full of pictures with her in them. But she couldn't help but smile when she realized Troy's judging mistake… Maybe _she_ was in all the pictures, but who was always there, right behind her? Who was the most faithful friend she had ever had? And also the best brother?

Ryan, of course.

It was very clear to her now, that Tobias had a crush on Ryan, just like her brother had on him. It made her all happy and bouncy inside, because they'd make the cutest couple. And if anyone would have a problem with them being together, she'd personally go beat them up. But before getting that far ahead in her thoughts, she had to give them a push in the right direction…

She took the last steps closer to Tobias, and softly poked him in the shoulder. He turned around, startled at first, but then he looked surprised to see her there. Especially because they'd never really spoken before.

"Sharpay?" he said, his high voice almost making her laugh, but she held it in, "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk to you…" Sharpay said, as she leaned against the locker next to him, the hall emptying, because people wanted to get to class, "If that's okay," she added, quickly.

"Of course!" he said, a bright smile coming to his lips, "Of course, Sharpay! What did you want to talk to me about?"

She thought about it for a second, and decided that to beat around the bush wouldn't be great. Tobias wouldn't appreciate that, she wouldn't appreciate that, and their teachers definitely wouldn't appreciate that, because it would cause them both to be late. With a quick breath, she said; "He likes you too, you know?"

Tobias looked confused, "Huh?"

"Ryan," Sharpay said, an eyebrow raised, "He likes you too. He's talking about you all the time, but he doesn't know how to ask you out. He's afraid what people will think and all that shit. I tried to get him to just talk to you, but it didn't work. But he likes you."

Tobias seemed genially happy with that fact, "Really?" he exclaimed, almost dropping his books in excitement, "Seriously?! Does he likes me too? That's… that's awesome!"

"I thought so too." Sharpay replied, nodding her head a bit, "So I think you should just ask him out."

"But I don't know how to do that…" Tobias trailed off, his eyes wide.

"You sound just like Ryan!" Sharpay exclaimed, almost giving up on the two, "I just assured you that he likes you too! The only thing you need to do is go ask him!" she paused, as the warning bell went off, "Listen, we have to get to class, but why don't you come sit with us at lunch? You can talk to Ryan and the guys as well. Just casually ask him if he wants to go to your place after school and play Playstation 2. He loves that."

"Really?" Tobias asked, as they hurried down the hallway.

"Yeah," Sharpay paused, but then added, "Do you have _Kim Possible: What's the Switch_?"

Tobias looked confused again, "No…? But my sister has it." He quickly added, by Sharpay's worried expression.

"Great," she said, "He'd never admit it out loud, and definitely not at school, but he loves that game. He plays it was our little sister all the time."

Tobias giggled softly as they parted ways, and Sharpay hurried towards homeroom, knowing Mrs. Darbus would kill her for being late.

--

Sharpay was eating her salad while moving her eyes around the cafeteria, and then towards the door. She was waiting for him, and the minute she saw him, she'd yell at him to come sit with her. But he wasn't there yet. He was probably running late in class or something.

"What do you keep looking after?" Troy asked her, when her eyes again traveled to the cafeteria door.

"Uhm," she mumbled, missing her mouth with her fork, which caused it to hit her cheek, she tried again, and this time succeeded, "…just someone. Ah, a guest."

Troy shot her a questionable look, "A guest?"

"Who?" Zeke added, looking around their table. They were himself, Sharpay, Ryan, Troy, Martha, Kelsi and Jason. Chad had had to decide between his girlfriend and his best friend. He had chosen Taylor, so the two of them were now sitting in the other end of the cafeteria, with Gabriella, who still hated Troy and Sharpay with passion.

"Somebody…" Sharpay added, just as Tobias stepped into the cafeteria, his food on a tray. She quickly stood up and waved her hand, to make sure he'd see her, "Tobias!? C'mon, we're sitting over here!"

He locked eyes with her, and broke into a smile, before quickly crossing the full cafeteria, and stopped next to their table, smiling at them all.

Troy shot Sharpay another questionable look, "…what's he doing here?" he whispered, hoping gay-guy wouldn't hear.

"He's going to sit with us!" Sharpay said, her voice cheery, and then she looked at Ryan, her eyes hard, "Make some room, Ry. He can sit right next to you."

Ryan shot her an angry glare, because he somehow knew she was up to something, but moved over anyway. He really wanted to get to know Tobias better, but he didn't want Sharpay to get in the middle of it, though he appreciated the intention.

Tobias happily sat down next to Ryan, and started to unpack his lunch. He didn't say anything, he figured he'd let them get on with their conversations and stuff, so he wouldn't be a bother. When everyone else was talking, he could ask Ryan to hang out. It was a really great plan, if he said so himself.

Sharpay studied him for a second, before turning to look at Kelsi. She had decided that she needed to make up with Gabriella. Sure, what she had done was pretty bitchy, trying to ruin her relationship with Troy over some stupid lie, but it was no use having enemies all over the school. And Sharpay was feeling good. In some way she had started to want to please other people. She really liked the feeling she got in the pit of her stomach when she talked to Tobias about Ryan, so she figured, if she could get everyone to make up, Taylor, Chad and Gabriella would soon be seated at this table with them.

"Have you talked to Gabriella lately?" she asked her, catching everybody's attention, "I mean… She won't talk to me, for some weird reason, I mean…" she snickered, "Shouldn't I be the one to hold the grudge towards her? _She_ was the one who told me a lie!"

"She told you a lie?" Zeke asked, turning to look at Sharpay, his brown eyes curious, "What lie?"

Sharpay quickly glanced at Ryan, who softly shook his head, and then turned to look at Troy, nodding her head towards him, "Some crap about Troy and all. She came to see me a couple of days after they broke up. She was trying to break our friendship, I know it. But I want to forget it all. I wished we could all just be friends."

"What did she say?" Troy asked, his heart beating faster in his chest. Sharpay hadn't mentioned anything about that before. What could Gabriella have said? Or had she simply said the truth, which Sharpay didn't believe?

"A lot of crap, I don't remember," Sharpay lied, biting her lip slightly, before looking at Kelsi and Martha, "But have you talked to her? One of you?"

"Ah…" Martha trailed off, staring at the table for a second, "I was with her this Saturday. She, Taylor and I went to the mall. I tried talking to her about you, 'cuz you always used to come with us, but she brushed it off. I really wish we could all be friends."

"Me too," Jason added, padding her reassuringly on the arm, "I miss Chad. No one's here to make the dumb remarks."

They all laughed a little, but it wasn't that funny.

"I guess I better talk to her soon…" Sharpay mumbled, dropping her fork to the table, "We have to work this out, y'know?"

"Yeah," Martha added, cheery as always, "_We've got to work, work, work this out…_"

"_We'll make things right, the sun will shine_," Sharpay quickly added, Troy and Kelsi jumping along with it, "_If we work, work, there'll be no doubt, we can still save the summer, if we work this out…_"

Zeke chuckled, as Sharpay somehow ended in a funny pose on the floor, Troy on his knees as well. Tobias looked a bit scared, but Ryan padded him reassuringly on the back,

"Don't feel bad, dude, you gotta learn it sometime." He told him, "Troy and Sharpay are weird when they're together, well, more than they are apart, and I was confused first as well too, even though I've been with them both since birth."

Tobias didn't look that much more reassured, but as the others went back to their conversation about Gabriella and 'working this out', he turned to Ryan, a huge smile on his face, "Hey Ry?"

"Yeah?" Ryan questioned, his blue eyes shining beneath his brown hat.

"I was wondering if you'd like to come hang out with me after school? We could play Playstation 2 if you want?" Tobias offered, praying that Sharpay had been telling the truth, and was not messing with him. After everything that had happened with her before, it seemed like something she would do, but he had decided to trust her, because she didn't seem to be all that icy.

Ryan's face lit up, "Sure!" he exclaimed, "I'd love to! I love to play Playstation 2! It's the coolest…" he paused, and lowered his voice again, "What games do you have?"

"Well, I have a lot of different ones…" Tobias said, but decided to throw in the little hint Sharpay had given him. He'd played _What's the Switch?_ with his sister before, so he knew how to, "…and then my guilty pleasure, of course," he added, with a lick of his lips, "I love _Kim Possible: What's the Switch? _But don't tell anyone!"

"You do?" Ryan exclaimed, getting excited again, "That's so awesome, I love it too! Do you wanna go play after school?"

"Yeah," Tobias nodded, sending a thankful smile in Sharpay's direction, even though she wasn't looking, "Yeah, I really do."

--

Sharpay was eyeing Gabriella from across the room. The brunette was getting her stuff together to do their science thingy. They were supposed to heat something up, and the describe what happened to it. They could do it in pairs or alone, and it seemed like Gabriella wanted to do it alone. But the thing was, Sharpay herself was stupid at science. She didn't get a thing about it, so it would be really great to work with someone like Gabriella… If she could convince Gabriella of that, but she knew she couldn't. The smart girl would see right through her.

She made up her mind though. She stood up, grabbed her stuff and hurried across the room, where she poked Gabriella in the small of her back.

"What is she doing…?" Taylor mumbled, her eyes following Sharpay's figure.

"She's trying _to work, work, work this out_…" Kelsi sang, snapping her fingers to the music, while her small curls bobbed.

"Huh?" Taylor questioned, a weird look in her eyes, "Why does that song sound familiar?"

"I don't know," Kelsi admitted, her eyes smiling beneath the round glasses, "But as soon as Martha started singing, everyone just knew the words. It's kinda weird like that. Like a really, classic Disney movie."

Taylor giggled, and grabbed her paper, "Alright, I hope it works out for her… Wanna pair up?"

"Always," Kelsi smiled, grabbing her paper as well.

Meanwhile across the room, things weren't going that great for Sharpay. Let's just say that Gabriella was… less than thrilled to hear Sharpay wanted to partner up.

"No." she muttered, her face hard.

"But I just said that-"

"And I just said no," Gabriella stood her ground, "Leave."

"C'mon Gabriella!" Sharpay said, stomping her high heel into the floor, "I wanna pair up!"

"And I wanna work alone!" Gabriella said, turning around to stare her in the eyes, but she was just met by a happy smile – a _too_ happy smile for her liking, "What is it that you don't get, Sharpay?" she asked, lowering her voice to a whisper, "How many hints do I have to drop before you finally understand that I don't want to work with you in science, I don't want to talk to you in the hallways, I don't want to go shopping, and I definitely don't want to hang out at your house." She paused, and took a deep breath, "You ruined the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I hate you for that. Do you get it, Sharpay? _I hate you_."

Sharpay just stared at the girl, not blinking, "Hate is a really strong word, don't you think?"

"No," Gabriella said, her voice firm, "Because that's what I do. I hate you, Sharpay."

Sharpay arched an eyebrow, and took in a deep breath, "…and why's that?" she wanted to know.

"You took Troy away from me." Gabriella said, turning around to start her project, "He was the best thing that happened to me, and because of you I lost him." She got tears in her eyes, Sharpay could hear it in her voice, and turned around again, looking at Sharpay, "And you know what the worst part of it was?"

"No…?" Sharpay questioned, taking a step back, because the slightly taller girl was now even closer.

"It wasn't losing Troy," Gabriella said, following Sharpay until her back hit the table, and she had her trapped, "It was the fact, that even though he broke up with me, and broke my heart into a million pieces, he still didn't get together with you. He's too chicken to even tell you that he likes you…" she paused, and swallowed hard, "To think I lost him over nothing!"

Sharpay gulped, "…Troy doesn't like me. Are you really still on that?"

"Believe me, Sharpay," Gabriella spat, staring her deeply in the eyes, "He does like you. He loves you. And you're just too Goddamned blonde to see it."

"I'm actually brunette, so if you think about it-"

"Shut up!" Gabriella sat, before turning around to get back to her project. She started fiddling around with it, and Sharpay watched her back for a second or two, before turning to look at Taylor and Kelsi, who was watching her. She shrugged her shoulders, as Kelsi arched an eyebrow and urged her on.

Sharpay took a step closer to Gabriella again, and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Gabriella?"

She turned around, angry to be disturbed again, "What now?"

"I still wanted to partner up?" Sharpay questioned, trying to put on a cheery smile.

"You never give up, do you?" Gabriella asked, handing her a test tube, "Put some of the green stuff in that, and heat it up, alright?"

Sharpay grabbed the test tube, and let out a smile, "Okay!… _partner_."

"I still don't like you," Gabriella mumbled, as she started scribbling furiously with her pencil, "…but I think I'm gonna lose Taylor and Chad to you guys soon, so let's settle this for now. I'll never forget what you did to me, and I still hate Troy, but I miss my friends."

"Great," Sharpay replied, as she lit the matches, and held the test tube over the gas. She really didn't have a clue what she was doing, she hoped Gabriella would correct her if she did anything wrong, "That's really all I'm asking."

"Don't do that!" Gabriella shrieked, taking the test tube from Sharpay, "You're really stupid you know that right?"

"So I'm told," Sharpay replied, with a grin on her lips, "The thing is Gabriella, though…" she paused, and searched for the right words, "I don't understand why you keep insisting on the lie of yours? What do you want from me? Why are you trying to ruin our friendship?"

"It's not a lie," Gabriella said, biting her lip to keep herself from yelling at Sharpay. She couldn't believe she was bringing this up _again_.

"But it can't be the truth either, 'cuz Troy and I are friends." Sharpay told her, tilting her head softly to the side.

"It's not a lie," Gabriella said, pronouncing each word clearly, "It's not a lie, okay? Don't you get it, Sharpay? He told me, alright? It's no lie. And just you wait…" she said, not aware of the fact that she was raising her voice by each word, "When he finally tells you how he feels, you'll take your words back! And then you'll have to apologize to me, because it's the truth! TROY'S IN LOVE WITH YOU!"

The whole room went silent, as everybody turned to look at Gabriella. Sharpay's eyes were wide, and she gazed softly to the side, at Kelsi and Taylor, who both seemed to have troubles holding back their laughter. Before anyone got to say anything, their project seemed to have gotten enough heat, because it blew up in Gabriella's hand, which caused her to drop it on the table, and scream in pain.

Sharpay looked mortified, as Gabriella hurried out of the room, to get her hand under some water in the bathroom, and probably leave the embarrassing situation as well. Sharpay turned to her teacher, as the door smacked close, and let out a shrug.

"She just dropped something." She said, trying the break the silence.

"What?" Taylor questioned. She couldn't help but giggle, even though Gabriella was her best friend, because that was seriously funny.

"Her dignity." Sharpay replied, before breaking into a giggle too, taking some of the other students with her. Their teacher actually let out a laugh too, before he hurried in Gabriella' steps.

"And maybe a couple of fingers," Kelsi said, but soon realized that that wasn't funny. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze, still holding back a chuckle, "…just maybe."

--

The encounter in the science lab, was out to the whole school when the next break came around. Bless cell phones (not!). But Sharpay actually didn't find it all that funny. It had been during the time it happened, but now she was seriously worried about Gabriella. She hadn't returned to the science lab, and their teacher (when he returned) said he hadn't been able to find her anywhere.

Sharpay hadn't spoken to Troy either. Some people actually started talking to her, and asking her if she was not together with Zeke anymore, and if she was seeing Troy instead. It was really crazy. But of course, the things Gabriella had yelled on the top of her lungs, had to have given someone something to gossip about.

She stopped by her locker to drop her books off, but Zeke was already there. He quickly enveloped her in a tight hug, kissing her on the hair many times.

"Gosh, I was so worried you were hurt as well…" he whispered, breathing in her scent, "I just hurt the rumors, and they said you were partnering with Gabriella, so I thought you might be…" he trailed off, and took her fingers in his hands studying them closely, "…but you're not."

"I'm fine," Sharpay replied, placing her books in her locker, "But Gabriella got hurt. I don't know how bad it was, but it seemed bad. She just rushed out of there."

"But I'm glad you're fine!" Zeke said, kissing her deeply on the lips, even though she hadn't wanted him to earlier. He didn't care about getting sick now, though – he cared about her.

She pulled back, "I feel guilty. I'm gonna have to go check if she's with the nurse. I'm fine Zeke, don't worry." She turned to leave, clutching her French book in her arms, since it was her last class of the day, and she was having it right after. Zeke grabbed her by the arm though, and she turned to face him.

"Sharpay?" he said, swallowing hard, "What was all that with you and Troy? I – I heard what the rumors said. What Gabriella said… Is that true? Is he in love with you?"

Sharpay shook her head, "It's that lie I told you about, Zeke. I don't believe her. Troy's not in love with me," she said, and raised her voice slightly, when she saw that people were listening, "We're best friends."

That caused them all to go do their own stuff again, while Zeke wrapped his arms around in another embrace.

"That's good…" he whispered, kissing her hair, "I was worried… Though you never know. He might be. You're a gorgeous girl, I wouldn't blame him…"

"Troy's not in love with me," Sharpay said, pulling away from, "…is he?"

Zeke shot her a questionable look, and turned around, hurrying down the hall.

--

Sharpay knocked on the nurse's office, and waited patiently for someone to do something. She had been standing in the hall for five minutes, thinking about everything, but then she had remembered Gabriella and what had happened, and decided that that was her main concern right now. Other stuff could wait.

"Come in,"

Sharpay opened the door, and stepped into the office, looking around for Gabriella, but she didn't see her anywhere. She turned around and came face to face with Nurse Sam, "Hi…" she mumbled, "Was… Was Gabriella Montez here just a few minutes ago?"

"No?" Nurse Sam questioned, pulling back her old grey hair, into a ponytail, "No, no one's been here all day, actually. What happened?"

"There was an accident in the science lab." Sharpay exclaimed, arching an eyebrow weirdly, "And I think she hurt her hand pretty bad. She rushed out of there, and no one has seen her since."

"She hasn't been here." Nurse Sam explained, and Sharpay could tell she was worried.

"I'm gonna go home and check her house right away," Sharpay replied, immediately forgetting all about her French class, "If she's not there, I'm gonna call her mom or something. Thanks."

Nurse Sam nodded, and Sharpay hurried out of the office, and through the empty halls. Class had started, but it wasn't important. She couldn't live with herself if she didn't find out if Gabriella was okay. Maybe she'd actually hurt her hand badly? Now Sharpay felt bad about making fun of her.

She jumped into her pink car, and quickly drove out of the parking lot, and towards Gabriella's street. She'd been there before, lots of times, when Gabriella and Troy were still going out, so she knew the way there by heart. They'd actually been okay friends. Not best buddies, but they got along, even though Gabriella annoyed her, and she knew she annoyed Gabriella too.

She quickly got there, and parked her car by the pavement. She jumped out of it and hurried up the front porch, knocking and ringing the doorbell, not really having time to wait, though she knew she should.

She could see Mrs. Montez's car in the driveway, so someone had to be home.

It was Mrs. Montez who opened the door, and she seemed quite surprised to see her there, "Sharpay? Hi, honey."

"Hi Mrs. Montez," Sharpay said, quickly swallowing a big lump in her throat, "Did Gabriella get home?"

Mrs. Montez seemed to think about if for a second, before replying, "Yeah… Her hand is okay as well. Do you wanna go see her?"

"I'd like that very much, thank you." Sharpay said, as Mrs. Montez opened the door for her, and she stepped in, taking off her high heels.

"She called me up from outside the school, and I dropped everything I had, to come and drive her home." Mrs. Montez told Sharpay, before she managed to go up the stairs, "I don't know all the details yet, except that you were there."

"It's nothing, Mrs. Montez, it was an accident," Sharpay replied, "But I wanna make sure she's okay. She left before anyone managed to find her."

Mrs. Montez nodded and went into the kitchen again, so Sharpay hurried up the stairs, and stopped in front of Gabriella's room. She knocked gently on the door, hoping Gabriella would let her in.

"Mom, I don't wanna talk!" came the muffled reply from the inside, but Sharpay didn't care. She grabbed the door handle, and went inside;

"I'm not your mom." She told her, sitting down on the bed.

Gabriella lifted her head from her pillow, and turned around to look at Sharpay. She had mascara traces down her cheek, and her hand was in a bowl full of water and ice cubes, "What are you doing here?" she sniffed, glancing at her bedside clock, "School's not out yet."

"Do you really think I could sit in French class when I didn't know how you were doing?" Sharpay asked her, dropping her books beside herself, on the bed, "How is your hand? Does it hurt really bad?"

Gabriella shook her head, and lifted her hand out of the bowl, so Sharpay could see it. It was red, but there weren't any flesh showing, that meant that at least it hadn't been bleeding, "It's okay," she assured her, "Mom says it's gonna go away, I just have to keep it cool tonight."

"Well that's great," Sharpay honestly said, "I was really worried about you after your left. And of course the whole school knows now. Also what you said about Troy…"

"I'm sorry," Gabriella replied, "What did Zeke say?"

"It's okay, don't worry about it," Sharpay replied, reaching her hand out to wipe Gabriella's cheeks, "The worst is really gonna be for you coming to school tomorrow. Everybody knows."

"I always humiliate myself," Gabriella said, sitting up, while her hand was still in the bowl, "I'm good at it," she giggled lightly, "Remember when I dumped my lunch on you?"

"I'd much rather forget," Sharpay replied, chuckling along with her. There was a pause, but then she added, "I really want us to be cool, Gabriella. Let us never mention Troy between the two of us, and try to start a friendship. You're actually a pretty cool girl."

"You're a cool girl too," Gabriella said, before awkwardly putting one arm around Sharpay, to hug her tight, "Let's hang out sometime soon."

"Yeah, let's." Sharpay replied, as she stood up, and got her books, "I'll see you soon, Gabriella."

"Tomorrow, right?" Gabriella questioned.

"I dunno…" Sharpay trailed off, "I've felt like shit the whole day, but with all this happening, I sorta forgot. Maybe I'm gonna stay home tomorrow, if I don't get better."

"Okay…" Gabriella nodded, as Sharpay opened the door, "I hope you feel better, Sharpay."

"You too," Sharpay replied, before leaving the room.

* * *

…_and that wraps up chapter fourteen. I hope you all enjoyed it. I've been waiting forever to get Gabriella on the good side again, 'cuz I wanted her to be mad for awhile, but I still wanted them all to be on speaking terms for one of the future chapters. I hope this chapter was good enough after the wait? _

_Kim Possible: What's the Switch? is my absolute favourite game. My sister owns the Playstation 2, but I borrow it once in awhile along with KP, to play some. I really enjoy it. I'm not very good at it, but I just love playing. I'm a bit weird, but you should play it someday if you haven't. _

_And I'm sorry if I wasn't that good at explaining all that science stuff. I only know all the Danish terms for everything, and there are a lot of such words that a dictionary can't give me, so I had to cut some of the descriptions out. I hope it was understandable, though. _

_**Dedication; **__AK-tutti. I love you girl, you're one of the coolest people I have ever met. I can't wait for Nadine to get here, I know Steve will be so very happy. I hope you really enjoyed this chapter. I love you loads. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, or Kim Possible: What's the Switch? _


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Of Sickness and Weird Conversations**

"Can you read that, then?" Sharpay asked, pointing at another sentence in the book Ashlee had gotten from her teacher. It turned out, she really was dyslexia, and now they just needed to help her read and do math as much as possible. Sharpay had decided to at least spend a half hour with her each day. She wanted her sister to get better.

Ashlee stared at the paper, her eyes getting lost in all the little black letters. She concentrated really hard, just getting lost, but it didn't help. It just hurt her brain so much, it was horrible. She squinted her eyes together, and grabbed the book closer to herself, hoping it'd help, but she was lost. She turned to her sister, almost tears in her eyes, "I can't!"

"Aw, calm down, honey…" Sharpay replied, wrapping an arm around her, "We'll just start with something easier, alright? It'll get better, I promise you."

Ashlee nodded, and flipped through the pages, while Sharpay checked her watch. It was going on 8 o'clock, and Ryan hadn't returned from Tobias' place yet. She could only assume things went well between the two of them. She herself, had been home ever since she'd been at Gabriella's place, but all she really wanted to do was sleep. But she knew she had to take care of Ashlee until Ryan got home.

She was happy when she heard the front door go, "I'm home!" Ryan cheered, as he bounced into the kitchen.

"Ry!" Ashlee exclaimed, jumping up to hug him tight, "I've missed you today!"

"I've missed you too, Ash!" Ryan said, happily swinging her around, before placing her on the counter. He then crossed the room, and kissed Sharpay on the hair, "And you sis, you're just plain awesome."

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Sharpay teased, showing him her wide grin.

Ryan playfully hit her across the shoulder, and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the table, taking a huge bite, "What are you two doing?" he asked, the juices from the apple, sliding down his chin.

Ashlee threw a disgusted face, "…reading." She said, grabbing a napkin, and shoving it into his hands.

Ryan rolled his eyes, and wiped his chin off, "Okay, how's that going?"

"Not too good." Sharpay revealed, grabbing Ashlee's book, to show it to Ryan, "It's too hard for her. We have to do this a lot, Ryan. We need to read with her everyday. You gotta help me. Promise?"

"Of course, she's my sister too!" Ryan said, sitting down by the table as well, while Ashlee took her seat, and grabbed her book to start reading. While she did that, Ryan just studied Sharpay for awhile. She looked really tired. He grabbed her hand from across the table, and squeezed it tight, "Something wrong, you don't look too fine?"

"I don't feel fine, I think I'm just gonna go to bed…" Sharpay yawned, as she pushed her chair back, "Could you tug me in, I need to speak with you?"

Ryan got the hint, and padded Ashlee on the head, "I'll be right back, Ashlee."

She nodded, and went back to her reading, while Ryan followed Sharpay upstairs and into her room. He sat down on the bed, and she went for her drawer, to get something to sleep in. She grabbed a pair of white boxers and a top. She turned to him, and sat down on the bed.

"What's up, Shar?" he asked her, as she got her top off, and took the other one on. He didn't mind when she changed, they'd done that so many times before, during musicals and stuff. They were really close like that.

"I wanted to know how it went with Tobias!" she exclaimed, as she placed her hair back in a ponytail.

"Oh…" he said, and chuckled slightly, "…I'm just gonna pretend that you didn't just meddle in my private life, and tell you!" he held a pause, while watching her eyes shine brightly, "It was the best! We had so much fun, Sharpay, and I'm going there tomorrow after school again! I can't wait. Thank you so much for meddling!"

She giggled, and placed her arms around him in a tight hug, "You're welcome! I'm so happy for you, Ryan…"

He chuckled and kissed her hair again, "I really need to talk to you, though…" he said, as they pulled back, "What happened between you and Gabriella during science? Taylor and Kelsi were really worked up, as they tried to tell us the truth. There are so many rumours going around campus tomorrow, no doubt about that."

"She's insisting on that little lie of hers." Sharpay said, fiddling with the boxers she still held in her hands, "But it's okay, we made up. We've decided to put it behind us, and never mention Troy between the two us. It's just weird… I dunno why she keeps telling me that Troy's in love with me. It's so wrong… And when Zeke heard, he was really worked up about it."

"But maybe he is?" Ryan questioned, looking at her.

"No, he's not!" Sharpay said, brushing it off quickly, "Troy doesn't like me like that, Ry. Sure, we kiss at times, but it's just friendly. It's the way we show the feelings we have for each other. I love Troy with all my heart, he's the person who knows everything about me. And I'm the person who knows everything about him. That's the way it is. If Troy really started having feelings for me, he'd tell me. I dunno what brought all this on for Gabriella, but something must have trigged it."

"Perhaps she's misunderstood Troy, if he's ever mentioned you?" Ryan suggested.

"Yeah, maybe." Sharpay replied, "But I wanna sleep now, Ryan. I'm really tired, and my head is aching."

"I'll check on you tomorrow, around 7." Ryan said, as he stood up, "If you look like this tomorrow, you'll stay home. We can't have you giving everyone your flu around school."

Sharpay chuckled lightly, and watching him leave the room. When he was gone, she got out of her sweatpants, and into her boxers. She tugged herself under the covers, and turned off the light. She yawned a bit, and quietly closed her eyes.

--

The night was a blur to her. She woke up several times, covered in sweat, and had to change her night clothes. At one point, around 2:30am, she almost fell out of bed to get into her bathroom, and throw all her dinner up. She couldn't sleep after that, because her throat was sore and burning, and her head ached.

She did fall asleep though, but was woken up, far too early for her likings, by Ryan, who shook her awake.

"Sharpay!" he whispered, stroking her cheek, "Sharpay, are you awake?" he looked at her, and realized how pale she looked. He tried again, because he needed to speak to her, no matter what, "Sharpay, wake up?"

Sharpay groaned, and opened her eyes a little, looking at him through her thick eyelashes, "…Ry?"

"Sssh, it's just me, Payday…" Ryan whispered, placing a hand on her burning forehead, "You're going to have to stay home today, alright? I'll let Lucy know, and I'll take care of Ashlee and everything, you need to not worry, and just get better…"

"…okay…" Sharpay whispered, closing her eyes again, "Thanks Ryan, I really don't feel well."

"It's okay," he kissed her hand, "I'll see you later, Shar." He tucked the covers closer around her, and left her room slowly, closing the door behind him. Ashlee was already eating cereal downstairs, and they had all their stuff ready for school. It wasn't like Sharpay would even have been able to make it on time, if she felt well enough. He could already sense last night, that she just wouldn't be fine today.

He crossed the kitchen, and took a seat by the table, while grabbing his cell. He dialled Lucy's number, because he knew that she was home anyway, because Tessa was home, so she wouldn't mind watching over Sharpay too. He honestly felt bad about leaving her alone, when she had no idea what was going on around her.

Lucy finally picked up the phone, "Ryan, something up?"

He cleared his throat, "Yeah, Lucy… Uhm, Shar's sick, and I dunno what to do about her. She doesn't really know what's going on around her, and I figured since you're home anyway, you could check on her too."

"Of course!" Lucy cheered, chuckling lightly, "But do you think we could get her to go in here instead? She could stay in Troy's bed. I'd feel better about having her here, if she suddenly needs something?"

"I don't really think she can walk that far, she looks really weak." Ryan told her.

"Maybe we could get Troy to carry her?" Lucy suggested, "I bet he wouldn't mind."

"No, I'll get her some extra clothes, and what else she needs, alright?" Ryan said, as Ashlee shot him a smile, and placed her bowl in the sink. She pointed upwards, meaning that she would go find something for Sharpay to sleep in. Ryan didn't have the best style in girl clothes, and she knew Sharpay would freak on him, if she wasn't sick. He nodded to her, and she hurried upstairs.

"Bye." Lucy said, hanging up the phone.

"Bye."

--

"Huh…?" Sharpay groaned, and looked around herself, trying to figure out where she was. It didn't exactly look like her room, "…Ryan…?" she whispered, as she rubbed her eyes slowly, "Ryan?!"

Suddenly the door burst open, and Lucy stood next to her, smiling down at her, "Calm down, Sharpay honey…" she said, sitting down next to her on the soft bed, "You're in Troy's room. It's so I can take care of you… Do you think you can sit up?"

Sharpay was confused, but managed to sit up straight, with help from Lucy. She had no idea how she got from her own house to Troy's room, she couldn't recall even walking. Maybe Ryan had carried her?

"I've been making soup all day," Lucy said, padding her sweaty hair, "I'm gonna go pour something for you, so you can drink a bit. You need to get something in your stomach. I hope you can keep it down."

Sharpay nodded, and leaned her head against the headboard, closing her eyes again, as Lucy left. She placed her hand on her sticky forehead, and held it there. The bed was so soft, and she could smell it was all Troy's. The bedding smelled so nicely of his cologne, she realized now. It was calming somehow, and she was grateful to whoever helped her get there in one piece. She had probably been sleeping all through it.

It didn't take long for Lucy to come into the room again, with a cup full of hot soup. Sharpay gratefully took it, and let the steamy warm her face, and her hands. She felt chilly, even though she was very warm, and sweaty.

"Drink as much as you can, alright?" Lucy smiled, as Sharpay took the first sip, "Just place it on the floor when you're done, and go back to sleep. Troy will be home soon, but just sleep tight. I won't let anyone disturb you."

Sharpay looked up at Lucy, with small tears in her eyes. Lucy really cared for her. She acted more like a mother to her than her real one had ever done. Viola Evans wouldn't have stayed up and made soup for her kids if they were sick. It was beneath her standards.

Lucy kissed her hair again, and slowly left the room.

--

Gabriella bit her lip slightly, and watched the group from across the room. Taylor and Chad weren't there yet, they were out doing whatever, and she didn't want to eat alone. Plus, she really had decided to make up with them all. But she hadn't seen Sharpay today, so maybe she was feeling bad… She wasn't at school.

She decided to do it though. She grabbed her tray and crossed the busy cafeteria, stopping by the side of their table.

Ryan nudged Tobias in the side, and Kelsi locked eyes with Martha, whose mouth was wide. Zeke and Troy, who were sitting with their backs toward her, turned around, and shot her two questionable looks.

"Gab-Gabriella?" Troy asked, his voice almost cracking.

She shot them a small smile, "Hi… hey guys." She said, clutching her tray tighter, "Do you mind if sit here? With you guys?"

Kelsi looked around, as if the check for empty seats, and realized there was plenty, "No…" she trailed off, her voice soft, "Take a seat, Gab!"

"Thank you!" Gabriella said, excitingly taking a seat next to Tobias. She was very much a where of the fact that everyone was looking at her, but she decided to ignore it, and act casual. As if everything was alright, but really, wasn't it? She was over Troy now, right…? Or maybe not. It just hurt her that Sharpay thought she was a liar, when she was simply telling the truth.

As she reached out to grab her juice box, Martha let out a loud gasp, and quickly grabbed her hand, "Oh my God! What happened to your hand?"

Gabriella jerked it back, and took a closer look at it. It was all red-ish, and her skin looked like it was crumbling and falling off, but it didn't hurt that much, "It was just yesterday…" she mumbled, lowering her gaze, "In science. That whole explosion sorta had a huge effect on my skin."

"Ah, burn." Zeke whispered, as he waved his own hand up and down.

"It's okay." Gabriella replied, smiling a bit. She decided to change the subject, and turned to look at Troy, "Where's Sharpay? Is she sick?"

"Yeah," Troy replied, taking a bite of his sandwich, "Ry called this morning, so I went to carry her into my room, so mom can take care of her. She likes it better that way, and since Tess is home, she's doing nothing anyway. I guess I'm gonna have to sleep on the couch. I do so not want to catch whatever she's having."

"She's throwing up a lot, right?" Zeke asked, concerned for his girlfriend. He really hated that she was feeling bad. She'd been on the verge of it for some time, but now it had broken out, and it was even worse.

"Yeah," Troy nodded.

"Please!" Ryan butted in, "Could we not talk about my sister, and her throwing up doing lunch?"

"Yeah, when do you guys not talk about disgusting things?" Tobias asked, studying his nails closely, "It's like, gross. I don't know why I'm even spending time with you. I swear, if Ry wasn't here, I'd be…"

"You'd be long gone, yeah we get it." Jason laughed, padding him on the back, "It's alright, mate. We like you, but get used to the style around here."

"I _am_!" Tobias whined, a smile on his face.

Martha laughed, and grabbed one of her smarties, "Yeah, alright!" she said, taking another one, "But anyway… When's there another party? It's been too long since we've had one! A really cool, big one!"

"I'm having a party soon!" Zeke said, raising his hand slightly.

"You are!?" Kelsi exclaimed, excitingly clapping her hands together, "That's so cool! When?"

"Well, I was gonna talk to Sharpay about it, because-"

"Dude!" Jason butted in, "You're whipped!"

"_Because_…" Zeke continued, ignoring his friend, "…I wanted to make sure she could come, but please don't make any plans, Friday, two weeks, alright?"

"We won't!" Ryan chipped in, an arm around Tobias, "And I'll be sure to tell Sharpay to keep her calendar open as well. But it's a Friday, so it was just another Troy-night!"

Troy picked up a French fry and threw it at him, from across the table, "Shuddup!"

"Aww, look, he's shy!" Ryan teased, sticking his tongue out, "I dunno why these Fridays are so important for you two, it's not like it's… a special day. It's just a Friday."

"How come you guys are so great friends anyway?" Zeke asked, turning to look at Troy, "I mean, I've been dating Sharpay… awhile now, but I still don't know why you guys are together that much. It's like, all the time."

Troy shrugged, "Well…" he begun, trailing off, "We're just great friends. We've known each other forever. We live next door. There's not much more to tell."

Gabriella eyed him for a second, and their eyes locked. Her shot her a begging glare, and she lowered her gaze, not wanting to rat him out. And it would probably ruin it for Sharpay and Zeke. And as much as she sometimes hated the blonde girl, she didn't want to be the cause of that. She couldn't stand it, if she was a relationship-breaker.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Ryan agreed with Troy, "I swear, one time I caught the two of them skinny dipping in our pool at midnight!"

Martha gasped, "You did not?"

"When?!" Jason wanted to know.

Troy received a hard glare from Zeke, and padded him reassuringly on the back, "When we were 11, mate. Don't worry. It was nothing like that."

Zeke looked relieved, but Ryan was about to ruin that, "Sure!" he exclaimed, "But the other night too! They were ki-"

Troy kicked him beneath the table, and shot him a hard glare, "We were kidding…" he said, still glaring angrily at Ryan, "Because this time it was Tessa and Ashlee's turn to do the skinny dipping, and since we couldn't sleep, we saw them, and decided to these them. All in good fun, y'know, juuust kidding." He quickly lied.

The others shot him weird glares, and Ryan looked sorry. Gabriella just smirked at him when their eyes locked. Nothing needed to be said between the two of them. She knew more than anyone what Ryan had been close to saying. Maybe he could convince Zeke the they were 'just kidding', and it would probably be for the best. No need to break the poor guy's heart.

Kelsi awkwardly cleared her throat, and Zeke turned to look at Troy, about to say something, but Chad and Taylor, who had just entered the cafeteria, beat him to it;

"Troy!" Chad exclaimed, "Someone is really angry with you!"

Troy looked confused, "Huh?"

"Someone put a huge picture of you on the billboard," Taylor explained, and shot a quiet glance at Zeke, "…with the words 'relationship wrecker' written across it. It's probably because of all that stuff yesterday, with Gab and Sharpay…"

"Seriously?" Jason questioned, a weird look on his face, "Why would they do that? It's not true."

"Maybe they believe it's true?" Kelsi suggested, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"It's not their business though!" Ryan butted in, as he stood up from his seat, "So what if Troy's in love with Sharpay? Which he _isn't_-" he added, by the look Troy gave him, "-but what if he is? Why do they care about that? My sister is loyal, she'd never cheat on you, Zeke. She'd have to be really… _really _drunk if she ever did."

"Hey, I know that, dude," Zeke smiled, shrugging his shoulders, "But that doesn't give them the right to write that about Troy! He's far from! We're cool, and he and Sharpay are just friends, even if they were _kidding _in the pool." He finished, and gave Troy a look.

Troy crumbled beneath his gaze, "We were just kidding once," he promised, and then turned to Taylor and Chad, "Did you guys at least take it down?"

They shared a look, and their eyes went wide.

"You didn't?" Tobias asked, standing up, next to Ryan, "Excuse me, but how stupid are you?"

Taylor turned to him, her eyes narrowing in, "And who are _you_? What are you doing here?"

"Tobias is the name, and I'm lunching with Ryan." Tobias said, as he held his hand out for her to shake.

Ryan pushed it away, and grabbed it instead, "Drop it, Tobias. Let's go take it down instead." He mumbled, and started to drag the other boy after him, out of the cafeteria.

There was an awkward silence for awhile, until Martha, being the most oblivious one out of them all, broke it; "Are they gay?"

Troy sighed, and turned to look at her, "I think you can count on that, Martha, thank you very much."

She got quiet, as Taylor and Chad took each a seat around the table. They all just looked at each other, until Gabriella broke the silence, by shoving her hand into Taylor's face;

"Look at my hand!" she exclaimed, her voice breaking.

--

Troy threw his bag by the front door, and kicked off his snickers, before making his way into the kitchen. His mom, Tessa and Ashlee were making brownies.

"Hi Troy!" Tessa cheered, shooting him a cheery grin.

"Hey guys…" Troy smiled, sitting down by the kitchen table. He felt sorta defeated. They hadn't figured out who placed that picture of him at the bulletin board, but Ryan and Tobias had taken care of that. It was gone now, and they just wanted to forget it.

He couldn't help but think though… Was he really that easy to see through? With the rumours floating around school, people came up to ask him if he was dating Sharpay. The captain of the football team even came up to him, padded him on the back and said; 'You finally got her, huh dude?'. It was kinda frightening. Zeke had also known he was lying earlier about the kidding/kissing episode in the pool.

And really, if he was that transparent, then how come Sharpay didn't see it? How come she was that blind, when everybody else had noticed the way he looked at her? Well, Gabriella hadn't noticed, before she was single, and he'd told her, but after that, she'd noticed a lot. If Chad and the other guys had noticed, they'd hid it well, so he wasn't that sure. Maybe it was only noticeable for people who didn't know him that well? Maybe the gang couldn't see, because they assumed he cared for her, like he cared for all his other friends?

And it didn't look like it worried Zeke very much, if he believed Troy was in love with his girlfriend. Maybe he didn't believe it, and just had a good laugh at all the crazy rumours. Sharpay had probably told him a million times that they were _just best friends_. Those words always hurt him so much, but he couldn't do anything about them. And they were just words. He could always hope.

"Something wrong, you're so quiet?" Lucy asked, as she sat down opposite him, letting the two girls make the brownies on their own.

"It's- it's nothing, mom…" Troy assured her, shooting her one of his charming smiles, "I'm fine, really. I just had a rough day."

She padded his hand lovingly, "Okay… But remember, I'm always here if you need me, alright?"

"I know mom," Troy said, as he let out a sigh. What he really needed now though, was a dose of Sharpay. She always managed to make him happy, even if she was sleeping, and he could just sneak a glance, "Is Sharpay still upstairs?" he questioned, standing up.

"Yeah, but she's asleep," Lucy said, arching an eyebrow, "And you shouldn't go in unless necessary, I think you're going to catch it, if you're not careful."

"Mom…" Troy said, as he paused on his way upstairs, to get to his room, and to Sharpay, "It's gonna be fine. You worry too much."

……

"Okay you two," Lucy sighed, the next day, as she stared down at her son and his best friend, lying there, wrapped up in each a blanket, on Troy's bed, "Call me if there's anything you need, okay?"

"Yes, Lucy." Sharpay said, her voice much more cheery than yesterday.

"Yes mom…" Troy groaned, as he closed his eyes, shielding them from the strong light.

Lucy couldn't help but laugh, "I told you, didn't I?"

* * *

_Aha, another chapter done, you see, lol. I'm so sorry about how bad this chapter is though. I really hate myself for writing it, because it's really beneath my usual standards. I know nothing much happened in here, but I had to throw a few hints in here, to use for later chapters, and they're sorta important, so yeah._

_AND I HAVE AN IMPORTANT QUESTION FOR YOU! As some of my very, veeery loyal readers might know, I tend to blow big holes in my **T**-ratings. And yeah… There's a big chance that it might happen in this fic as well (I've got it all planned, lol). So I'm gonna ask you guys now, so I know; are you all okay with **M**-rated stuff? And if not, how far can I go? 'Cuz I don't really wanna rate this story **M**, because there's not gonna be THAT much stuff in it… I just need to know, 'cuz I'll need it for a few later chapters. So if you could please tell me?_

_And I think my updates will be coming a lot slower now. I have four joint fics going on, and I'm gonna start my own little Christmas-Troypay-fic soon. It's just gonna be five chapters or so, but I want them all written before I have to post them, so I'm starting on that before I write next chapter of this. This will be updated as soon as I get time, I promise, 'cuz I'm not giving up on it! I just wanted to tell that I might not update as fast as usual._

_**Dedication; **Bl1SSFuln3ss. Because you're the coolest gal ever. I love you so much, thank you for always reading my fics, and always reviewing! Imisschoo._

_**Disclaimer; **I don't own High School Musical. I wish everyday that I did, 'cuz then I could pair up the characters that I wanted. Wouldn't that be AWESOME!?_


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Chapter Sixteen **

**What's Love?**

"I'm really sorry I passed my flu on to you, Troysie…" Sharpay whispered, as she stroked his hair gently. She felt a whole lot better today then she did yesterday. It was Troy's turn to be really worn out and tired. She felt really bad for being the reason of his sickness.

"It's okay…" Troy mumbled, as he turned his head to look her in the eyes. He was resting on the pillow, because his head was pounding, "It's my own fault… I- I was sitting at school, saying that I wouldn't go into my room, 'cuz I didn't want to catch your flu…" he coughed slightly, "…and then I did just that."

"You're just being silly." Sharpay told him, love shining through her brown pools, "But you're my silly Troysie, so it's okay."

"Is it, really?" Troy managed to joke, even though he was _that_ tired.

"And now you're stupid," Sharpay stated, as she turned around and grabbed the remote control to the TV, turning it on, with a flick of her finger, "I'm just gonna have it on, really low, alright?" she said, as she turned to look at him again.

He nodded his head, and moved his body at bit, so he could rest his head on her stomach. She was sitting up against the headboard, so she let him, and wrapped her arms around his upper body.

"Sleep tight, Troy-Boy…" she whispered, stroking his locks, "I love you…"

Troy didn't answer, he was already asleep.

--

Later on, Sharpay had wrapped a duvet around herself, and was sitting downstairs, in the living room, drinking hot cocoa. Lucy made the best hot cocoa in the world. There was just something about it. Sharpay didn't know if it was either the touch of the vanilla or the cinnamon she added, but it tasted almost like Heaven.

"You look much better today," Lucy said, as she sat down next to her on the couch, "Do you think you can eat anything?"

"I'm not really hungry," Sharpay said, as she placed her cup on the coffee table, "It's not that I don't wanna eat or anything, I just don't like the smell of food very much."

"I'll make some soup for you and Troy," Lucy said, and padded her cheek, "And both of you are staying home until you're eating normally again. I can't send you off to school on empty stomachs."

Sharpay couldn't help but smile because of her sweet words, "It could be another week, Lucy, and we can't afford to lose school."

"You're not going to school, so drop it." Lucy replied, shaking her head softly, "My best guess will have to be Monday."

"Monday!?" Sharpay exclaimed, "I was thinking like… tomorrow?"

Lucy rolled her eyes, "Sure, Sharpay. You haven't had any real food in two days, and I'll send you off to school!" she paused, and breathed out, "Look, if you miss your friends, you can always call them! No one's stopping you, dear."

"I think I might just hold you on that," Sharpay replied, as she leaned forward and grabbed the cordless from the table. She was about to dial Zeke's number, when the front door burst open, and she dropped the phone on the couch.

"Mom!?" Tatiana exclaimed, as she rushed into the living room, and kicked off her sneakers on the way, dropping her bag on the floor, "Guess what happened? It was the most unbelievable thing! You want me to tell you?"

"Sure…" Lucy said, as she eyed Sharpay with a teasing sparkle in her eyes, "…but then I wouldn't be able to guess, would I?"

"Shuddup." Tatiana quickly said, and sat down on the coffee table, in front of them both. She brushed a piece of her fringe away from her eyes, and smirked, "I just got the most awesome job! It's gonna move my savings along a lot quicker!"

"Another job at _The Big Golden M_?" Sharpay questioned, just to tease her.

Tatiana didn't find it funny though, she hit her across the arm, and shot her a the killer-look, "No!" she replied, pulling back, "At _Fernando's_!"

Lucy practically lost her jaw, while Sharpay's eyes went wide, "Are you serious?!" they both exclaimed.

"Very," Tatiana replied, a happy and proud smile coming onto her face, "It's a waiter job. Three times a week. And only one of them is in the weekend."

"Oh my God!" Lucy said, and leaned forward to give her oldest child a big bear hug, "I'm so proud of you, honey! You're gonna make great money so you can do whatever you wanna do. Travel, right?"

Tatiana nodded and pulled back, turning to Sharpay, "Don't you wanna hug me?" she questioned.

Sharpay pushed her inviting arms away, with a smirk, "I'm sick. You so do _not_ wanna catch this, and end up like your dear brother."

Tatiana rolled her eyes, and gave up on her task.

"You're gonna stop working at _Burger King_ then, right?" Sharpay asked, to bring up another subject, "I mean, you already have three jobs, you won't be able to have four, right?"

Tatiana shrugged, "Nah… I think I'm gonna quit two of them, and maybe get another day at _Fernando's_. It's seriously awesome. It pays way better than anything I've ever worked with before. I'll soon have enough money saved, to travel like I've always wanted to, plus my apartment!"

"Maybe you should travel first…" Lucy chuckled, as she stood up, and padded Tatiana's hair, which she didn't like, so she quickly straightened it, "I'm gonna go make that soup, Sharpay honey." Lucy added, before she left the room.

Tatiana immediately jumped onto the couch, and turned on the TV, "How are you feeling, Payday?"

"I'm feeling better…" Sharpay replied, as she settled herself better against the couch, "Troy's looking like shit though. But it's alright. At least I'm not home alone."

Tatiana smiled, and they sat in silence for a few seconds, until Tatiana eyed the phone on the couch, and took it, holding it out for Sharpay, questions in her eyes.

"Oh…" Sharpay shot her a toothy grin, "I was just… I was going to call Zeke."

"Hmm-mm…" Tatiana nodded, and placed the phone in her lap, "Can I ask you a personal question, Shar?"

Sharpay was confused, but she nodded her head nonetheless, "Sure…?"

Tatiana swallowed, and seemed to gather up her courage, or something like that. It took her great difficulties to really ask this. It was kinda awkward. She considered Sharpay her little sister, and still, this was a field she had much more experience in, since Tatiana herself, always had been considered one of the guys.

"Do you love Zeke?"

Sharpay rose an eyebrow, and licked her lip, "I think I do…" she replied, nodding her head a bit. She didn't know exactly how to reply to that, so her voice was a bit squeaky, "I mean, I tell him I love him all the time. And he makes me feel good. I'm not quite sure though."

Tatiana swallowed again, and thought of her sweet little brother, who loved this girl so much, "Then why do you say you love him… if you're not quite sure?"

Sharpay shrugged, "I guess I kinda do love him. But it's not like… I-gotta-be-with-you-forever,-together-until-we-die-kinda love. It's more like… He's there, y'know? And right now, he's all I need."

"But isn't that wrong?" Tatiana questioned.

Sharpay shrugged again, "What's love anyway?"

Tatiana bit her lip slightly, and again; her thoughts wandered to Troy, who seemed to go through such a struggle, "Isn't it like… when you love a person, even through all the bad times? When no matter how they look, or how they act, you still love them? Isn't it, when you just want the other person to be happy, even if you aren't happy yourself?"

"I dunno." Sharpay replied, feeling a bit weird though. Why was she asking this? Was she simply curious, or what was behind all this… It made her feel all wrong on the inside, and that couldn't be good, could it?, "Why do you ask, T?"

"Ah… no reason, really." Tatiana replied, as she stood up from the couch, and grabbed her purse, "I gotta go upstairs. We'll talk later."

Sharpay simply nodded, and watched as she danced out of the living room, and up the stairs, singing: "_I've got a new jo-ob, I've got a new jo-ob…_"

--

Then two days later, Sharpay was feeling a bit better, though she hadn't eaten anything yet, and Troy was still in bed. It took him a really long time to feel better, she realized, so she stayed out of his room, she didn't want to be near him when he had the flu that bad. She was even dressed up today. It was Thursday, but Lucy said she might as well stay home until Monday, so she knew she had to.

She had agreed to meet Zeke in the Boltons' garden later on though, when he got out of school. He had called last night, and told her that they needed to talk about something, whatever that meant. She knew the classic line, that lead onto a break-up was 'We need to talk', but she was pretty sure that wasn't it. It had to be something else. Zeke was completely in love with her, she knew that. He practically worshipped the ground she walked on.

He was going to be there in about ten minutes, so she went downstairs and took one of Troy's sweatshirts on. She didn't want to go outside in only her thin shirt, because she was still half-sick, she didn't want to get cold. She might even be well enough to go home and sleep tonight, without worrying Lucy.

She had only been waiting on the bench in the backyard for about 5 minutes when Zeke appeared between there. He shot her a smile, and she moved over, letting him sit down next to her. He immediately wrapped an arm around her, which told her that she shouldn't fear a break-up. Her and Zeke were as good as ever… maybe except for the thoughts Tatiana had planted in her head the other day, but she tried not to worry about them.

"Are you cold?" he questioned.

She shook her head softly, "No…" she replied, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Well…" Zeke said, as he let his voice trail off a bit, "I just wanted to make sure that you didn't have plans tomorrow, two weeks?"

"No?"

"Well, I'm having a party there, so of course you're invited!" Zeke smiled.

"Really?" Sharpay asked, a bright smile coming onto her face, "Like, all of us going? Practically all East High, or just a quiet gathering kinda thing?"

"Somewhere between all of us, and all East High." Zeke laughed, as he scooted even closer to her, to keep them both warm. It was getting colder and colder outside. And Sharpay was still a bit sick, so she didn't need to get sicker, while he preferred to stay well, too. And really, who didn't?

"I'll be there." Sharpay promised, planting a short kiss on his cheek. Then she leaned back, and rested her body against his. She didn't know how it happened, but somehow, Tatiana had really managed to confused her. She was feeling all kind of things on the inside. She had never once before doubted her feelings for Zeke, or felt insecure about their relationship, but after Tatiana had asked her that question, she'd been thinking non stop about it. She even went as far as to ask Lucy about it, but she had just said that, 'Once it's love, you'll definitely know it', but how could she use that to anything?

She _thought_, she _knew_.

"Something wrong?" Zeke asked her, "You're awfully quiet."

"I'm just…" Sharpay searched for the right words, but she couldn't find them. And she couldn't very well tell him either, y'know? You don't tell your boyfriend you're having doubts about your feelings for him. That's plain stupid, "I'm just thinking…" she finished.

"Oh…" Zeke seemed surprised, but couldn't help but shoot her a smile, "What about?"

Sharpay bit her lip slightly before she dared to reply, "Stuff…", and then she shot him a cheesy smile.

Zeke chuckled, and she laughed as well. They spent a few minutes just enjoying each others company, and laughing, and resting, until Zeke decided to actually talk to her about that stuff, he _really_ wanted to talk about. There was one real reason he wanted to meet up today, and he intended to make it all clear. He wanted to know where she stood, and he wanted the _truth_.

He took a good hold of her hand, and she sat up straight to face him, "Sharpay… there's actually something I need to talk to ya' about…"

She looked confused, but she urged him to go on, "Okay… What?"

"Ahm…" he didn't know how to begin, but he knew he had to get started on the conversation. He'd been thinking a lot about this, since it came up, and he had to make sure they were on the same page, "I just…Well, there's been some rumours going on around school, Sharpay. About you and Troy."

"Please Zeke!" Sharpay said, defeated. She couldn't believe her own boyfriend fell for that! She had had more faith in him, "Please don't tell me, you're actually believing Gabriella!?"

"No!" Zeke quickly reassured her, before she blew up (more than she already had), "No, Shar.. Calm down, please! I just… I just thought a lot about it, 'cuz you and Troy are really close… - which I don't mind-" he added, by the look she gave him, "-but sometimes it's weird. And Ryan actually, accidentally mentioned something about kissing – no _kidding_, in the pool?"

Sharpay watched him for a second, her eyes burning into his. She couldn't tell if he was mad, or if he was sad, or what he was feeling, but she felt bad herself. She couldn't believe he'd found out. How could Ryan have been so stupid, to let it slip? It was typical him, to screw up like that. And now Sharpay really didn't know if Zeke was angry with her, or what was going on.

He shot her another look, an eyebrow raised, and she swallowed loudly, before replying:

"I swear Zeke, it was only one time, and it didn't mean _anything_!" she exclaimed, placing her hands on his shoulders, "I mean it, Zeke! It was a mistake. Troy and I had been fighting, and we went swimming in the pool after we made up, and it sorta just happened, but we pulled back right away, Ryan must have looked at us right the second our lips touched! I swear Zeke, I love you… Troy and I are only friends. Got it?"

She breathed softly out, after that whole speech, and stared at him, waiting for a reply, but he was just looking at her. His soft, brown eyes were burning holes into her own, and she swallowed loudly again.

Then he burst out laughing, "Calm down, Sharpay!" he chuckled, "I never thought you had something going on with him, I know how close you are. I was just trying to freak you out."

"Oh!" she exclaimed, hitting him playfully on the upper arm, "I can't believe you, you really had me going there!"

"That was the whole point." Zeke said, as his chuckles calmed down, and he wrapped his arms around her instead, "I know you're my girl, no worries. Troy really tried to cover up though, so he'll gain a few points for the effort."

Sharpay snuggled into his embrace, and placed a kiss on his neck, "Yeah, yeah. You're just mean to me, I dunno why I even like you."

"That's because I'm lovable." Zeke replied, before moving away from her, to stand up, "I'm gonna go home now, though. Can you still get together in the weekend?"

"Sure," Sharpay replied, standing up as well, to get inside – into the nice, warm house, "I'll call you tomorrow night. I should be fine by Saturday."

"Great," Zeke said, before he left the garden, and Sharpay went into the house.

--

Sharpay, Gabriella, Taylor and Kelsi went to the mall on Sunday. Sharpay was really feeling better, and since she spent yesterday with Zeke at his house, doing almost nothing (except they did do _something_), she decided that she needed to get out in the real world. And it had been awhile since they had had one of their outings to the mall, together. She kinda missed it.

"So where do you wanna go first?" Kelsi asked, looking at the three of them through her round glasses. She was very happy and bouncy today. But really, she was always bouncy, but she seemed even bouncier today. How weird it may sound.

"I dunno?" Taylor shrugged, looking around them, "We could check out that new clothes shop?"

"Sure!" Gabriella agreed, and they changed directions, to go towards the new shop. It had just opened, and it was supposed to have all kind of different labels. Something for everyone.

Sharpay broke the silence, "I just have to check something out in the music store." She reminded them. But she knew they knew, she wanted to do that. She always went there. And she always bought something.

"Always," Gabriella promised her with a smile, before she took a good hold of her hand and squeezed it tight. It was weird, really. They were okay friends before, when Gabriella was dating Troy. Okay friends, as in they got along. But after Troy and Gabriella broke up, and they had been on the outs, they just really clicked. It was like they knew where they had each other. They knew what they could except from the other, so they were much closer, and much more friendly. It was great.

The four girls hurried into the shop, and tried on cute clothes for some time. Taylor found a really cute skirt, she decided to buy, while Kelsi was aw-ing, because of all the hats they had in this shop. Sharpay even found one she liked too. And one for Ryan. Gabriella mostly tried jeans on, since that was what she needed, and she found a pair she liked, but it was far too expensive. Sharpay offered to buy them for her, but she said her mother would have to pay up.

After that, Kelsi and Taylor went to the bookstore, so Sharpay and Gabriella sat down by a table in an ice cream parlour (Tatiana had actually worked there once too), and ordered each a sundae. They sat in silence for awhile, and watched the people around them, until Sharpay broke the silence.

There was something she had thought a lot about. She wanted to talk to Gabriella about the Troy-issue. She wanted to apologise, and she wanted everything to be clear between them, so they didn't have any unspoken things, which needed to be solved.

"Gab?" she asked, and when Gabriella turned her head to the side, to show she was listening, she continued, "I wanted to talk to you about Troy?"

Gabriella sighed, "I thought we had forgotten that?" she whispered. She really didn't want to bring it up again. They were just getting along so well, why fight more?

"We had." Sharpay nodded her head in agreement, "But there's a few things I wanna say to you. I just… I want to say I'm sorry for not believing you. Who knows if you said the truth or not? It's pretty much between you and Troy, and frankly I don't know who to believe. Troy could be in love with me, who knows?"

Gabriella nodded her head, and kept listening. It finally seemed like Sharpay understood some of the things she had been trying to say! How amazing was that? She really wanted to dance around, because she got a weird bubbly feeling on the inside. It felt awesome, that the blonde girl now believed her.

Sharpay continued, "And I just thought I'd let you know that I don't hate you for it, and that I'm just gonna forget it all. I can't honestly find a reason for Troy to break up with you, unless he fell for someone else. I'd just like to believe, that had it been me, he would have told me. But maybe he wouldn't have. So yeah. I'm sorry you had to get your heart broken because of him."

"It's okay…" Gabriella said, before she could even keep it in herself. She covered her mouth with her hand, surprised that those words had actually slipped from her lips. Did she just say that it was okay that Troy had broken up with her? Why did she do that? She was surprised at herself.

Sharpay seemed just as surprised, "Really?" she questioned.

Gabriella gulped, and nodded, "Yeah…" she said, "Yeah, it is. I'm over Troy." She continued, and was happy that she could feel, that it was the truth. She really was over Troy. How great was that!? She wasn't sad any longer, and talking about Troy and his feelings for Sharpay didn't even make her feel sad or bad. This was huge progress. It proved her that maybe Troy was right; maybe they weren't right for each other.

"You are?" Sharpay said, and her eyes shined bright, "That's so awesome, Gab! I'm happy for you!"

"Yeah!" Gabriella said, and broke into a full belly laugh, "I'm happy for myself too! This is awesome, Sharpay! I'm over him.."

Sharpay giggled too, "Congratulations, Gab." She replied, because she really didn't know what else to say. She honestly was glad that Gabriella seemed to be over Troy. It wasn't fun for her to go around being sad about the break-up. That was plain stupid. She needed to move on, and now she had.

Gabriella leaned over and wrapped her arms tightly around Sharpay's thin body, "Thank you. You're a great friend, Shar."

Sharpay padded her back, but pulled away, when they heard their friends come back, with company too.

"Hey guys!" Chad said, as he took a seat next to Taylor, who had taken a seat as well.

"Hey Chad!" Gabriella cheered, moving over to make enough space for the extra chair Kelsi was placing there, "And hi Martha and Jason."

"What are you doing here?" Sharpay asked, when they were all sitting around the table. It was very cramped, with 7 people, but it was always fun to be more people.

"Could ask you the same." Martha replied, as she grabbed the rest of Sharpay's sundae, and started to eat it, "What's with the hugging?"

Gabriella and Sharpay shared a secret smile, "Nothing." They replied, in union.

"Oh-kaaay…" Kelsi said, as she shared a look with Jason, who arched an eyebrow, "That's great, then."

"It's always great." Gabriella quickly said, while Sharpay mumbled; "Aaaalways."

Jason then turned to Chad, a scared look in his eyes, "Chad man, something's wrong with them, we better leave now, before it's too late!"

Chad rolled his eyes, and gave him a whack on the side of his head, "Anyways. Did you talk to Troy, Shar?"

"No, not since Friday – very surprisingly actually," she added, with a nod of her head. Her and Troy not speaking a whole day was very rare. Even when they were fighting, they spoke, "Why?" she asked.

"Well, y'know, that picture of him on the billboard?"

"Oh my God, yeah!" Gabriella said, getting into the story as well, "What happened with that one?"

"Tobias and Ryan found the guy who did it." Martha chipped in, after getting done with the sundae, "So they told him a thing or two."

Sharpay was confused, "Why didn't they tell me? I spoke to Ryan this morning."

Jason shrugged, "That I don't know, but I don't think this guy will do something like that again. He looked really scared."

Sharpay shook her head, while the other girls burst out laughing. There was just something about her friends. They were so wonderfully weird, she didn't know what she'd do without them. They were all so great. But she knew deep down, that no one would ever beat Troy. He was the greatest friend ever. Even if he may be in love with her.

* * *

_So yeah. First off; sorry about the delay, I've been extremely busy. I just finished writing a loooong biology paper. Grr. So not my thing. Second off; I hope you liked it. I hope it'll be able to keep you posted for awhile, 'cuz there's probably gonna go some time before I update. I have so much to do, and I have so many joint fics, so yeah. I hope it's alright. This wasn't my best writing either. It think we're closer to the worst writing, and I have no excuses. It was a sucky chapter, but I'm gonna work hard on the next one. _

_Thanks for the great opinions with the __**M **__thingy. I'm not gonna rate this story __**M **__for real, but there probably will be some parts in it. Based on your replies, it would be okay with you. _

_**Dedication; **__Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Catie. Happy birthday to youuu. I hope you liked this chapter. It was done already Sunday, but I wanted to post it today. I love you sooo much. _

_**Disclaimer; **__For the 16th time; __I don't own High School Musical. _


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Chapter Seventeen **

**First Kisses and Confusion**

Sharpay was happy about finally getting to school again. She couldn't wait to see everyone again. She had seen them during her time off, but it would be nice to get back into civilization. Troy was going to school too. He was feeling better, and his mom let him go. Tessa was going as well, since she was able to carry herself around on her crutches – it was kinda new for Lucy. She was going to work again.

Troy and Sharpay decided to walk to school together, the two of them. They walked hand in hand, swinging them up and down, while taking their time. It was awhile until the bell rang, and they had barely seen each other all weekend – it was nice to be together like this again.

"I have something to tell you, Troy…" Sharpay said, and glanced to the side, a shy smile coming to her lips.

"Hmm?" he asked, as he turned his head to look at her. He had rather enjoyed the silence, why did she have to go break it? Not that he minded hearing her voice, the silence had just been comfortable. "And what's that?"

"It's something about Gabriella…" Sharpay said. After her talk with the girl yesterday, she decided to inform Troy about it. Maybe it'd make him feel better to know Gabriella was doing better as well. She didn't want to bring up the whole 'are you in love with me?'-question, she'd decided to forget about that for now. She couldn't really believe he was. There was just something in her that said he wasn't.

Troy arched his eyebrow, "Gabriella? What about her?" he paused, and swallowed, "I don't want to talk about her. She's nothing for me anymore."

Sharpay was a bit taken aback – she didn't think Troy could ever speak that way about someone, ex or not, "Well… I was with her yesterday, and she said she was doing better," she said, deciding he should know anyway, "She was… She was happy. She was okay with the break-up. She's moved on."

"Oh well…" Troy said, shrugging, "I don't care."

"Why's that?" Sharpay questioned him.

Troy bit his lip. He couldn't very well tell her why he despised Gabriella that much. It wasn't that she wasn't nice; she was a very nice girl, and she deserved to be happy. He just couldn't like her when she had threatened to blurt out his secret like that. Sure, maybe Sharpay wouldn't have believed her, and no harm was done, but really… it annoyed him that she had something on him. If he got too close to her again, she might spill the beans. He didn't like the fact that Sharpay was hanging around her either – it just wasn't good.

"'Cuz she's stupid," Troy replied, giving Sharpay's hand a reassuring squeeze, "You never know where you stand with her, alright? You shouldn't spend time with her either, Sharpay, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't."

"You've judged her wrong, Troy," Sharpay replied, shaking her head, as the school got closer, "Whatever happened between you two; it's over, okay? She's a nice girl."

"I just don't like her," Troy said, "And I don't think you should be alone with her. Who knows what she might say?"

Sharpay studied his face for a few seconds, confused out by his words. How come he was so protective? Sure, he was before, but this was really weird. It was just Gabriella, and Sharpay could take her out anytime if it ever came to that. Maybe something really awful had happened between them, that Gabriella didn't even want to talk about?

"Can you promise me not to spend time with her alone?" Troy asked, a glimmer of hope in his voice, "I need you to promise me that?"

Sharpay swallowed loudly, and decided to promise him. He wouldn't have to know if she ever spent time with Gabriella. It was just a silly problem of his, and if it could make him happy for her to promise; she do it, "Sure Troy-boy," she giggled, and jumped onto his back, to get some of their happiness back, "I'll promise. Anything for you."

"Great," Troy chuckled, as he took a good hold of her legs, so she wouldn't fall, "That's all I'm askin'."

--

"Hey Troy!" Chad exclaimed, as Troy made his way into the cafeteria, for lunch, "Come sit dude!"

Troy waved back and gripped his lunch bag tighter. His mom had made lunch for him today, because she said his stomach was still not able to absorb anything, with him haven been sick. He had laughed at her silliness, because his stomach had always been able to keep everything down. He'd grabbed his lunch from her though, because he didn't want to hurt her feelings.

He took a seat by the table, where the rest of them were sitting. And by 'the rest of them', he meant, Sharpay, Zeke, Kelsi, Martha, Jason, Chad, Taylor, Gabriella, Ryan and Tobias. It was funny; their group of friends were slowly growing bigger. Not that he minded, really; it was always great with friends.

"Oh, you feeling better, Troy?" Martha asked, and placed a concerned hand on his forehead, "Sharpay said you were even worse than her!"

"I was…" Troy replied, and gently pushed her hand away, so he could open his lunch bag, "But I'm alright now. Mommy made me lunch."

Kelsi and Martha broke into a giggle, as he took his lunch out. It was homemade bread. Yum! That could always get down quickly. He started eating like a crazy maniac, because he hadn't managed to grab breakfast this morning; therefore, he was really hungry. He didn't even notice how the others stopped their doings, to look at him. When he finally looked up, they were all staring at him, about to burst with laughter.

"You know, Troy…" Sharpay softly begun, as her eyes wandered from his mouth to his eyes, "It's actually not possible for humans to absorb food via osmosis."

Troy rolled his eyes, but Gabriella excitingly clapped her hands together, "Oh, did you hear that, everyone?" she asked, "Sharpay just said something about osmosis."

"She does listen in biology!" Zeke chipped in, which earned him a smack on the shoulder, from his girlfriend.

"Haha, very funny," she said, digging into her salad, "Just make fun of Sharpay. It's not like I was not the one who just ate like a pig."

"I'm sorry, Pay," Troy replied, and reached across the table to pad his arm, "I guess you just bring it out in them to make fun of you."

Sharpay shot him a look, and started to eat her salad.

"So whatever happened with that billboard-thingy?"

"We took care of it," Tobias replied, proudly, as he looked at Ryan, "I don't think that guy will be bothering no one again." he turned around on his chair, and quickly scanned the cafeteria, "He's right over there. Do you see him, Troy?"

"Oh!" Troy said, as he clenched his fist, "The devil… He only did that 'cuz he has a crush on Sharpay."

"He does not!" Sharpay exclaimed, as she whipped around on her chair as well, and scrunched her face in disgust, "Eew…"

"Just forget about it…" Gabriella said, and grabbed Sharpay's arm firmly, "Forget about it, Shar… Turn around, there you go…" she clapped Sharpay on the cheek and shot her a smile, "There's my girl."

Sharpay made a kissy face in Gabriella direction, before digging into her salad again.

"Anyway," Jason broke the silence, "I just wanted to ask you guys if you wanted to take a game after school? It's been so long, and we could go to the park?"

"Sure!" Chad quickly said, "I'm up for it. Basketball buddies!"

"Buddies, alright!" Zeke continued, as he gave Chad a high-five.

"I'm in too," Troy quickly said, and then turned to Sharpay, and apologetic smile on his face, "Sorry Shar, I can't walk you home after school."

"That's fine," she mumbled, "I'll just go by your house on my own, see if anyone's there. They might want to spend time with me." she flakily pretended to be sad, and wiped her eyes, "…when you won't."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Payday." He replied, "Tessa will probably be home."

"Great, I'm stuck with a twelve year old during my time off, how about you guys?" Sharpay kidded, because of course she wasn't sad at all. She loved spending time with Tessa. And she had to admit that an afternoon in her presence, was quite alright with her. They could hang out and do whatever.

Gabriella giggled, and quickly put and arm around Sharpay, while Troy eyed her from across the table. Something was just not right about the way she was acting… it was weird, it was wrong. Shouldn't she be mad at Sharpay, for breaking them apart? Maybe she was cooking something up…?

But Troy couldn't by any means figure out _what_.

--

"So when are you telling mom about you guys?" Sharpay asked, as she, Tobias and Ryan walked down their street, getting closer to the Evans resident. Maybe Troy had ditched her, but Ryan was always there.

"I don't know for sure," Ryan shrugged, as he laced his hands with Tobias', "To hasn't told his parents about us either. I feel like holding out for awhile, for us to enjoy this, ya' know?"

"Sure…" Sharpay said, and couldn't help but smile for him. He really looked happy. She couldn't believe this had been eating him away, and she had been such a bad sister. But luckily everything worked out.

"And I agree," Tobias said, and kissed the top of Ryan's hand, "I feel like having a few sleepovers without our parents being on our case. On the other hand though… I really think my parents already know. They act so weird around me at times, and when I say I'm spending time with Ryan, they get these secret smiles on their faces."

"They know you better than you think!" Ryan laughed.

"Well, you're just lucky your parents aren't there then." Tobias laughed along, and the three of them stopped in front of the Evans driveway.

"I'm going to get some of my stuff from Troy's room," Sharpay told them, and pointed over her shoulder with her thumb, towards the Bolton house.

"We'll just hang around," Ryan replied, "We're going to read with Ashlee when she gets home. I dunno if she is yet."

"Great…" Sharpay smiled, and leaned in to hug them both tightly, "I'll see you later, guys."

"See ya'!" Tobias cheered.

Sharpay shot them both a smile, and turned around to cross the lawn. She casually waved her hand over her shoulder, not sure if they'd see it, before she went into the house. Of course she didn't knock, she'd never knocked, so why start now? She took her high heels off, and curiously peeked into the kitchen.

No one was there. It was weird. Someone had to be home though, because their door wasn't locked. She paused in the middle of the kitchen, and wondered if she should just go upstairs, grab her stuff from Troy's room, and then go home, but something stopped her… She listened closer… There was a small sound, and it sounded almost like a TV. She followed the noise upstairs, and realized it came from Tessa's home. So the youngest member of the family was home, just like she'd thought she would be. Maybe she'd like to hang out?

Sharpay didn't think further, than to open Tessa's door, like she had done so many times before – she always just barged right in where she wanted, because that was what the others occupants of this house did as well, she'd learned to adjust. She just placed her hand on the doorknob, and pushed the door open. But when she came into Tessa's room, she found Tessa, and that guy from the park, (David!), quickly breaking apart from each other, guilty looks on their faces. David had Tessa's lipgloss sitting in the corner of his lips, and Sharpay arched a well-shaped eyebrow.

"Did I interrupt something?" she questioned, a teasing smile in Tessa's direction.

"No…" she said, but Sharpay could tell by the look in her eyes, that she was about to die – she so wanted to spill the beans right there, but she was holding herself together because David was still standing there.

"I'm just gonna…" David trailed off and made a dash for the door, never finishing his sentence. They listened closely as he hurried down the stairs, but as soon as the door closed smack, Tessa broke into a squeal, and Sharpay giggled, plumping onto Tessa's pink bed.

"What was that!?" Sharpay exclaimed, as she rolled onto her stomach, to be able to look at Tessa, "Was that just your first kiss, Tess?"

Tessa blushed a deep red, and slowly nodded her head, not wanting to meet Sharpay's eyes.

"Oh my God!" Sharpay said, smiling widely. She was so happy for Tessa; it really seemed like she liked David a lot. And she deserved this; "I'm so happy for you, Tess! How was it?"

Tessa managed to get over herself, and lock eyes with Sharpay, "It was… weird."

"Weird?" Sharpay asked, "Weird in a good way, I hope?"

"Sure…" Tessa smiled, as she fiddled with her bedding, "Weird in a very good way… He was just, leaning in suddenly, and then we kissed. And then you came." She giggled again, "But it was great. Nothing I've ever tried before felt like it."

"I know," Sharpay smiled, "Your first kiss is always something."

"Yeah?" Tessa asked.

"You'll always remember it, Tessa. Just wait. In seventy years, when your grandkids asks who your first kiss was, you'll be able to tell them exactly what David looked like, and where you were."

"Really?" Tessa asked, and when Sharpay nodded, she dared to ask; "Who was your first kiss then?"

Sharpay got a smile on her face, and sighed, "Troy. I mean, _who else_?"

Tessa giggled, "Of course. You two are so weird."

Sharpay nodded, and rolled around on her back, to rest her head for a bit. Yeah, they were a bit weird, weren't they? They acted like a couple all the time, but they weren't… She understood why it could confuse some people.

Tessa let out a happy sigh, and lay down next to her on the bed.

"So?" Sharpay questioned, after awhile with silence, "How did he make you feel? Do you like him a lot?"

"Yeah!" Tessa said, as she closed her eyes, and tried to remember the feeling, "Yeah, I do. It felt… amazing. A not just 'cuz it was my first kiss. He really makes my heart beat, and I feel like I could die of happiness when he's near me. And he's so sweet. We have so much fun together. I think I'm gonna ask him to be my boyfriend tomorrow. I just hope the others in school won't make fun of us."

"…just forget about them," Sharpay whispered, as she went Tessa's words over in her head. So David made her heart beat? She could die of happiness…? Wasn't that to exaggerate it a bit? Sharpay had never felt like that. Not even Zeke made her feel like that, and she gave him her virginity. She swallowed hard, "So he makes you happy?"

"So much," Tessa replied, "But you must know how it feels. You and Zeke probably have the same relationship, so who am I to talk? I just… It's amazing. I wish he was here right now." she paused, and turned her head to the side, "You wish Zeke was here?"

Sharpay got silent for a few seconds, as she debated her answer. Did she? Did she wish Zeke was here? Nah, not really. She could live without him for _hours_ – they weren't really the touchy-feely couple. They were just there. But she couldn't help but think (as she nodded yes to Tessa's question), that it was wrong. Shouldn't she want him there with her? Honestly, she missed Troy more right now, then she did Zeke. Was that wrong?

She sat up in bed, and licked her dry lips, "I'm gonna grab my stuff and go, okay?" she told Tessa, and hurried out of her room, before she got a reply. She couldn't help but think more about this. First Tatiana's question, and now Tessa's behaviour. Was everyone trying to get her to doubt her relationship with Zeke? They were doing a good job, whether they were trying or not, that was for sure. She just didn't know what to make of it. Were she and Zeke not really in love? Was it just pretend?

As she grabbed her things from Troy's room, and hurried to her own, she couldn't help but doubt her feelings for her boyfriend. Yet again.

--

"How are things going here?" Sharpay asked, as she made her way into the kitchen, pizzas loaded in her arms. She stumbled to place them on the counter, and Tobias helped, "Getting better?"

"It's okay," Ashlee smiled, and looked up from her book, while holding her finger at the place she had gotten to, "Ry and To are really great helpers. I'm getting a lot better."

"That's great, sweetie!" Sharpay smiled, and opened the pizza box on top – it was Ashlee's. That girl was so picky. She almost didn't want anything on top of it, because she didn't like it, "That's yours, Ash, come eat."

Ashlee slapped her book close, and Ryan stood up as well, opened the box with his pizza in. He and Tobias were sharing – they liked the same stuff. A lot of meat, and pepperoni on, and they were good. Sharpay took her own box, and sat down by the counter. Hers was with salad, dressing and kebab, her absolute favourite. Her and Troy could eat it like pigs at times, when they had no life. Well, they never had a life, but sometimes it was even worse.

Sharpay took a huge bite of her pizza, and smiled at Ashlee and Tobias, who was now fighting over the cola. Tobias was really growing to be a part of their family. No doubt. He and Ryan would be together for a long time; they had to. They were so happy, everyone could see it. Screw morals and what other people thought; it was their happiness that mattered the most.

When she was half through her slice of pizza, her cell phone rang. It was besides Tobias on the counter, so he quickly threw it to her, and she caught it, giving him a thumb-up. She quickly scanned her display, and saw Troy's name across the screen. It'd be nice to have a chat with him, so she opened her phone with a quick; "Hi!"

"Hey Payday!" Troy cheered, from the other side of the phone, "What's up?"

"Eating," she replied, and quickly took another bite, just to annoy him, "Kebab, salad and dressing pizza. You?"

Troy groaned on the other end, and swallowed hard, "Pizza? I could dig a slice… Ah anyway, I was just bored, wanna talk, keep me sane over here?"

"Sure, what's up lover-boy?" she asked, and locked eyes with Ryan, who made a kissing noise to distract her. She threw a napkin after him, but it didn't hit, "What do you wanna talk about? How was basketball?"

"It was fun!" Troy quickly said, "It was nice to hang out with the guys again. My throat was burning after ten minutes though, but that's probably because I'm still a bit sick."

"Sure, it needs to get out of your system," Sharpay smirked, still eating her pizza, "But it was nice to get to school again, right? I've missed it so much, you wouldn't believe. How can anyone miss school?"

"I dunno, it's so weird!" Troy laughed, "Anyway… I'm looking forward to Zeke's party. Do you want to get ready together?"

Sharpay thought it over for a second, as she took a sip of her cola, "Sure, that'd be fun. I need someone to judge my outfits. I have to look totally hot for Zeke. I almost can't wait for next Friday now!"

Troy didn't reply.

"Troy?" she questioned, worry streaming through her. What was up?

"Oh," he squeaked, "Oh yeah… Sure, I'll judge your outfits, Payday. We'll drive there together after, okay?"

"As always, Troy-boy." Sharpay smiled, and padded her stomach, "But I'm gonna go now. I have to catch up on some homework. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure…" Troy mumbled, "I'll see you, Pay."

Sharpay hung up with a sigh, and placed her phone on the counter again. She wasn't really hungry anymore, though she had only eaten one slice of pizza. She leaned herself against her hand on the counter, and closed her eyes. She was so confused. Troy confused her. Her feelings for Zeke confused her. Tessa confused her. Tatiana confused her… Everyone confused her!

"Something wrong, Shar?" Ryan asked, concerned for his twin sister. She suddenly didn't look too good.

"Ah…" she opened her eyes, and looked at him, "Does…?" she sighed, and decided to share her concern with them, "Does Troy seem… weird to you? Different?"

"Different?" Tobias questioned, "Different like what?"

"Just… different." Sharpay said, and looked at them, her brown pools digging holes in their eyes.

Ryan softly shook his head, "No… No, he doesn't. What do you mean, Shar?"

"Nothing," Sharpay said, and jumped down from her chair, phone in hand, "Nothing, it's probably just me… G'night, guys." She continued, as she hurried out of the kitchen to get to her room.

God, she was so _confused_.

* * *

_Oh, I feel much better now. I'm so proud of myself; I finally updated this fic! Wow. I know it wasn't the best chapter, but I need to get into this story again. I'm done with writing all the parts on my Christmas fic (you should give it a read), so I can work more on this. I hope I didn't disappoint you guys. _

_As some of you might know, I've just been diagnosed (Gosh, that sounds horrible, doesn't it?) with some sickness, so I'm really worked up about it. They don't have more answers for me, until later this week, so I'm really nervous. _

_**Dedication; **__LucyLicious xx__, because you always review me. And your reviews always amazes me. You're so cool, you rock x3!_

_Please remember to review me? I really need it to go on, now… _

_THANKS TO EVERYONE! I love you guys. You all rock, and it's nice of you to review my work. I'm not feeling the best right now, so yeah. It makes me happy xD _


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**Chapter Eighteen **

**Break-Ups and Make-Ups **

Even though Sharpay had made a promise to Troy, she got together with Gabriella Thursday after school. The two of them had paired up for a science project, and since it was school related stuff, Sharpay told herself Troy couldn't get mad. She knew she had made him a promise, and she didn't want to lie to him, but she also meant that he was taking their break-up out on her; it was crazy for him to tell her not to spend time with Gabriella. They were just becoming so great friends.

She knew Troy was spending time with the guys, or something along those lines, so she believed she was safe. She and Gabriella were lying across Gabriella's bed, trying to get some work done. But it didn't really get that far; Sharpay was lying on her back, reading in a book about something she didn't get, and Gabriella was lying on her stomach; trying to make an out-line of how to do this. They were supposed to write a paper about it, hand it in, and then also make a presentation. She knew it wasn't that big of a project, but she liked to get everything done to the fullest.

Her mind was on other things, though. She couldn't help but still wonder over Troy and Sharpay's relationship… Troy was acting casual with Sharpay, as he always had been; like best friends. But Troy was acting weird and cold around Gabriella herself. She didn't like it. She didn't feel like he really trusted her. She wanted him to trust her, to let him know they were friends now, and that she wanted him nothing bad. But it didn't seem like he wanted the same things. As said, he was acting cold.

Sharpay let out a sigh, and let her book drop onto her face, landing on her nose, which hurt a bit, but she was too lazy to even cry out. She just closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She was so tired, she wanted to sleep. But of course, being partnered with Gabriella meant work, work, work. She should have told herself, before she said yes to Gabriella's request, that she was too lazy to work with her.

"Something wrong?" Gabriella asked, and bit the end of her pencil.

"I'm bored," Sharpay mumbled, and turned onto her stomach, to look Gabriella in the eye, "I don't get a single word in this book, I mean c'mon, it's not even funny, and I'm just… argh, I wonder what Troy's up to!"

Gabriella eyed her for a second, debating with herself. She wondered if she should bring Troy up again, though they had decided many times not to talk about him. She just had so many things in her head, and she needed to get them out. Troy's behaviour confused her, Sharpay's behaviour confused her… She just needed to know where she stood; if something could happen ever between Sharpay and Troy – she needed to brace herself for it, before it struck.

With a sigh, she dropped her pencil, and looked at her blonde friend, "Sharpay? We need to talk."

Sharpay tilted her head to the side, and gazed softly at her friend, "Oh no, Gab, are you breaking up with me?" she asked, her voice blurred with a giggle, "Are you going to tell me it's not me, it's you? That we're too different to make things work?"

"Shut it, Sharpay!" Gabriella whined, and launched out for her with a pillow. Sharpay just managed to avoid it, by rolling onto her back again, "Listen to me instead, okay?" Gabriella continued, and gave up on her pillow; letting it drop to the floor.

"Fiiiine," Sharpay whined, but really, she didn't mind. She always wanted to listen to Gabriella. They were friends, weren't they? And friends listened to each other!, "Please Gabriella; tell me what's on your mind. I'm listening."

"Great," Gabriella confirmed, with a slight nod of her head, "I just… I _know_ we agreed not to speak about Troy, but I have something on my mind. Is it okay if I ask?"

Sharpay bit her lip, she wasn't really sure if she wanted to open up another conversation about Troy – it was like opening up a can of worms. But she could also see that Gabriella wanted to speak about it, and she didn't want to keep her friend out of the clear. It could be important, you know? She took in a deep breath, and nodded her head, bracing herself for whatever question Gabriella might shoot her way.

"Thanks," Gabriella said, and sat herself up, Indian style on the bed. She twirled a piece of her long hair between her fingers, and thought about how to put the thoughts in her head, into words, "I just… Sharpay? You and Troy – and I'm not asking, 'cuz I'm jealous, I'm _over_ Troy, yeah – but… Was there ever something between you two? Were you ever close to be being more than friends? Before I came along? Or do you think something could ever happen between you two?"

Sharpay sat up as well, to be on eye-level with Gabriella. The question didn't really surprise her – a lot of people had asked her about all these things, so she knew the answers by heart. But it was different now, from what it used to be. Things had changed, and… She was a little unsure about how to answer.

"I-" she cut herself off, and exhaled loudly, "I'm not really sure how to answer you, Gab. The relationship I have with Troy is very weird. I won't say it's not, like… affected by us being different genders, 'cuz it is. Troy's been… I know when he's looking at me differently, but he can't help it, he's a dude. He tells me when he thinks I'm beautiful, and I tell him when I think he's handsome. We love each other like that. And… there was a time… when all our surroundings wanted us to get together. But we didn't – we were close, though."

Gabriella squinted her nose, "When was that?"

"The summer before you came, or around that time." Sharpay replied, with a shrug of her shoulders, "We'd been so close forever, and we acted like a couple. It felt right, and yeah…"

"But why didn't you?" Gabriella asked, "Why didn't you get together?"

Sharpay shrugged her shoulders again, "I dunno why. It just didn't happen. I mean, we kissed. We still do occasionally. But ah – not really."

"You'd be a cute couple, though." Gabriella said, and she really meant it. She would have never thought she'd say that to Sharpay, just two months ago, but now she really believed her own words. They would be a cute couple; they looked very good together. It was like red and green on Christmas – they fit.

Sharpay couldn't hide a blush, "Thanks," she replied, "A lot of people have told me that."

"Because it's true," Gabriella smiled, before biting her lip. She then decided to add; "Do you think it could happen, though? That you and Troy became a couple?"

Sharpay shot her a weak smile, "Maybe. I can't tell the future. You never know what happens. As things are right now; I'd say no. I love Zeke."

"You love him?" Gabriella asked, and she could feel her heartbeat start to get faster. She had wanted to know this for awhile; Sharpay and Zeke seemed like a happy couple, but still, something wasn't quite right about them. Something was telling Gabriella that they just weren't meant to be. It was like… some signs. And she had always been good at getting signs. Her mom had dated plenty of guys, and she always knew which ones would stick around for a long time, and which ones wouldn't.

Sharpay nodded her head, and seemed to be deep in thought, "Yeah…" she whispered, "At least I think I do. I'm not quite sure. If it isn't love though, it's a lot like it."

Gabriella bit her lip, "A lot like love? But-" she bit her tongue; she wasn't sure if she should question Sharpay about this, but she was born curious, so she had to know, "-but is that enough? Shouldn't it be _love_?"

Sharpay eyed her curiously, "I don't know. I'm very confused about my relationship with Zeke at the moment. People keep messing with my mind; it's not very good. And also; a lot like love might be good enough for now, I'm only sixteen, y'know? I have a long time yet. I can find love."

"Sure," Gabriella nodded, eyebrows squinted together, "I was just… curious. But what do you mean that people have been messing with your mind?"

Sharpay fiddled with a lose hem on her shirt, "Uhm… people. They confuse me. Everyone keeps asking me about Zeke, and then about Troy. You're like… number thousandth to ask me!" she laughed, because she knew she was exaggerating; but then again, to exaggerate meant that the other person for sure got what you were trying to say.

"For real?" Gabriella asked, and couldn't help but smile. That meant she wasn't the only one thinking about it. A lot of other people were having doubts. Maybe Sharpay and Troy were more obvious than they thought? Sure, Troy knew how he was feeling, and was it only Sharpay who was clueless? She really needed a push in the right direction…

Sharpay just nodded her head, a smile playing on her lips.

"Anyway…" Gabriella said, and picked up her book, "Let's get working!"

And with those words, they buried themselves in their science project.

--

He had gotten the team together for a basketball game in their court in the backyard. It was Sunday, and a great day for a game. The whether was great, not too hot, or not too cold, so they ran around in their shorts, one team with shirts, and the other without shirts. He could just imagine Tatiana drooling when she came home from work – it wouldn't be a pretty sight.

He stopped in mid-run, when Sharpay crossed his mind. What wouldn't she say if she came here? She'd probably drool all over the place; she was just like that. Tatiana wasn't that guy-obsessed, but Sharpay had always been. He almost wanted to call her up, and find an excuse to get her in there, so she could see him without a shirt on. He knew he had a great stomach; and sure, Sharpay had seen it before. He just felt like showing off a little.

He swallowed hard, when he realized what he was doing. Her boyfriend was right there; on the same team as him, without a shirt on. One wonder who she'd be looking at? Her boyfriend or her best friend? It was a very easy question to answer, really.

He snapped out of 'Sharpay-land' when the orange ball hit him hard on the head. He found himself captured in 'Sharpay-land' more and more these days. Just last night during dinner (Sharpay was even present), he had been stuck in there, thinking about the dress she was wearing. His grandparents had been visiting, and they'd all dressed up nicely. She'd looked totally hot in the red dress she was wearing, and he'd been captured in 'Sharpay-land' for several minutes during the main meal, thinking what it'd be like to take the dress off of her…

"Troy, get your head in the game!"

Troy turned around and looked for the person to say that. It was Zeke. No wonder. He had the girl, he should be happy. He didn't have to dream about taking off the red dress, he could do it as much as he wanted to.

Troy didn't want to seem mad though, so he shot Zeke a smile, and padded him on the back, "Sorry dude, I spaced out!"

"It's alright, thinking about some hot girl?" Zeke asked, as he cocked his eyebrow in a suggestive manner.

Troy swallowed hard, with wide eyes. He should just know… He would get so mad if he knew exactly how Troy was thinking at the moment. He hit Zeke across the arm, and turned around, running down the court, where the rest of their team was trying to score a basket.

They played around for about a half hour more, before they decided to take a break. Tessa and Ashlee had just placed loads of lemonade on the table, for them to drink, and get a cool down. They happily drank, and sat down on the grass, chatting away. They talked about girls, and school and stuff, but right as they were about to start the second half of their game, Sharpay came through the hole in their hence, and smiled at them all.

"Hey guys!" she cheered, and crossed the basketball court, "What's up?" she asked, but when she realized how they were all dressed, she got a goofy smile on her face, and turned to Zeke, eyes moving over his stomach, "Hello there!" she cheered, and walking over to him, wrapping her arms around his bare stomach.

"Hi Shar…" Zeke laughed, and eyed his team-mates over her shoulder. Jason gave him thumb-up, and Zeke smiled even wider. He looked down at her, where she was still hugging him tightly, "Uhm babe?" he questioned, poking her on the shoulder, "Babe? You gonna move anytime soon?"

"No…" Sharpay mumbled, into his chest, "You're gonna have to play with me on, Zeke. I don't really wanna move."

The team couldn't help but laugh, while a few of them casually coughed 'whipped' into their closed fists. Zeke shot them angry glares, and stroked Sharpay's hair.

"But Shar babe…" he said, as he tried to push her off, "Not that I mind you there, but I sorta… I have a game to play."

"Ah, alright," Sharpay said, with a dramatic sigh, "I was gonna move _anyway_."

Zeke laughed, and she couldn't help but giggle along. He knew she was just being dramatic, just typical Sharpay, and when she laughed, he knew it was okay for him to laugh too. That was just the way it worked with Sharpay.

"But…" she told him, and leaned in closer, her voice going to a whisper, "I sorta need to speak to you one of these days… It's sorta important."

Zeke squeezed his eyebrows together, and swallowed loudly. That didn't sound too good for him, did it? Speaking? Wasn't that like… a break-up line? Nah, that was 'we need to talk'. He had nothing to worry about. They were as good as ever!, "Okay…" she said, still whispering, since he knew his mates could be noisy, "Tomorrow after school?"

She nodded a bit, "Yeah, sounds good. Just remember it."

"I will," Zeke promised, and leaned closer to reassure her with a kiss. However, just as their lips were about to touch, a basketball came flying, which caused them to break apart.

Sharpay whipped around, hair flying around her, like a halo. Her eyes moved in on Troy, and she couldn't help but smile, though she was supposed to be angry with him (his chest looked too good), "Uhm, excuse me, Troy?" she said, and picked up the ball, throwing it after him, "…private conversation in progress!"

"More like private kissing in progress!" Troy whined, as he caught the ball from her, "Not to break your romantic moment, best friend, but we're sorta in the middle of a game. I'm all for you having sex regularly, but not in the middle of my backyard, okay?"

Chad and Jason couldn't help but laugh. Sharpay looked too funny that moment. Her eyes went wide, and before any of them knew what was happening, she had launched forward, and was chasing a scared Troy around the backyard. They all just watched them – Zeke still with a goofy smile on his face.

Troy screamed his head off to annoy his best friend, while she chased him. He wasn't all for her having sex regularly (not when it wasn't with _him_), but he could do nothing but play it cool with Zeke right there, and the whole team as witnesses. So, he made that comment, knowing it'd trig her off. And it surely did, because he was running from his life, with his buddies just laughing at him.

So much for team-mates.

--

"So…" Zeke smiled, as he sat down on Sharpay's bed, her hand in his, "What did you want to talk about, babe? You had me really worried yesterday."

"Oh, I'm sorry…" Sharpay smiled, and stroked his hand, "It's nothing bad, it's not like that, Zeke. I'm just really confused about some things, and I need to ease my mind. I hope you won't hate me for it…"

Zeke swallowed loudly – if he wasn't worried before, she'd for sure made him worried now. She said it was nothing bad, but how come it sounded bad? His heart was beating faster… He didn't want to lose her. He couldn't take it if she broke up with him. What would he do without her? _He loved her_.

"What is it, Sharpay?" Zeke asked her, "You're really scaring me, just come out and say it, please!"

"Alright…" Sharpay mumbled, and grabbed his hand even tighter, "It has nothing to do with you, Zeke, but I… I'm really confused…" she trailed off, and hated herself for not being able to explain things better. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she just love her boyfriend and be happy with him?

"Confused?" Zeke urged her to go on. Why wouldn't she just spit it out!?

Sharpay shot him an insecure smile, "I'm not too sure…" she whispered, feeling very stupid. She couldn't really figure out what was wrong with her, herself, so how on Earth would she be able to explain it to Zeke? She knew she had to, so she could do nothing but try, "I'm very confused about our relationship! Not that I don't love you, or like you, but I… I've been thinking a lot about it, and I can't seem to figure out what's wrong… Something's not right, am I right?"

Zeke swallowed lightly. She surely did know how to make him feel bad. His girlfriend just said that there was something not-right in their relationship! That was sure something to digest, "Eh…" he managed to choke out, but then he was a loss for words.

"I'm sorry if I made you feel bad…" Sharpay whispered, as she reached out to stroke his cheek, but he moved away from her on the bed, "Zeke, I mean it!" she exclaimed, "I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm confused, it's not my fault…"

"I don't get what there's to be confused about!" Zeke exclaimed, and stood up, to get all the way away from her, "I thought what we had was perfect!"

"It is, Zeke…" Sharpay whispered, her features going soft, "It is, Zeke…" she told him, and stood up, trying to get closer to him, "It's just me; I'm not perfect. I don't know what's wrong. I only wanted to tell you, because I figured maybe you could help…"

"I don't know, Sharpay!" Zeke said, shaking his head, "I don't, okay? Are you saying you want some time apart, or what!?"

"No…" Sharpay replied, shaking her head, "No, not at all. _I love you_. I just think maybe we should spend a little less time together, than we do."

"But we already spend so little time together…" Zeke objected, his voice reaching shrill. He really didn't get this. He thought they were _perfect_.

"I'm sorry…" she said, shrugging her shoulders, "I'm confused, and I need to figure some things out…" she paused, and bit her lip, deep in thought, "If you can't accept that, Zeke, then maybe you need to say it right now!"

"_It_!" he exclaimed, before he turned around on his heel, and left her room, in a hurry.

Sharpay watched him leave, a deep pain shooting through her chest. She didn't know why she suddenly felt so bad about it. She had needed this for herself, but… she had never wanted to hurt Zeke. She was just… _confused_. She hurried to her window, just as she saw Zeke run down the street. She couldn't help but let a few tears fall, but she knew just who to talk to. She sat down on her bed, and quickly dialled Troy's number, knowing he'd make her feel better.

"Shar?" he questioned, when he picked up the phone.

"Troy…?" she whimpered, her voice broken and small, "Could you come hold me, please?"

"I'm on my way right now!" Troy quickly said, knowing she needed his help. There were times when it was very clear to him, and when she called him up in that sad voice, and asked him to come hold her, he knew. She was in need of help, "…what happened, Payday?"

She sniffed into the phone, "Zeke and I had a fight… A big one."

"Oh…" Troy didn't know how to respond to that, as he quickly crossed the front yard, "A really big one?"

"Troy, I don't think…" she paused, as more tears rolled down her cheeks, "I don't think he's coming back to me, now… I think he's gonna break up with me…"

"I'm really sorry, Pay…" Troy said, and was now on his way up the stairs, "I'm really-" he closed his phone, and sat down in front of her, "-sorry…"

When he sat right in front of her, she broke down. She let the tears fall, and wrapped her arms around him, head on his shoulder. She knew their fight really wasn't that big, but she hated fighting. She always got so worked up about it… She couldn't stand knowing she'd hurt someone she cared about. It was too much for her…

"Shhh, calm down, Shar…" Troy whispered, stroking her hair, "Calm down, please. Tell me what happened… I'm here for you."

"We-" she sniffed, and swallowed loudly, as she pulled back from him, "We had this fight, because I… I said to him I was confused, and maybe we needed some time apart, and he got really angry… But I am really confused, Troy! I needed some time to think!"

"Oh…" he said, and kissed her hand gently, "If you need time alone, he should give you time alone. He should just be grateful that he has an amazing girl like you. I know so many guys who'd kill for a girl like you, Pay. He shouldn't hurt you like that, he should give you space…"

"But I feel so guilty…" She whispered, staring deeply into his eyes, "I don't know what's wrong with me, Troy. I finally get a really great and sweet boyfriend, who'll do anything for me, and then I just… screw up. Why? Why am I like that?"

"There's nothing wrong with you, Sharpay." Troy said, and moved onto her bed, to wrap an arm around her shoulders, "You're an amazing girl. I love you so much. Just… Calm down, and you and Zeke will make up. He loves you. He can't live without you. He'll come back."

She blinked, and wiped her eyes, "You really think so?"

"I know so," Troy reassured her, with a kiss on the temple, "So now, you wipe those tears away, freshen up a bit, and I'll take you out for dinner. How does that sound?"

"No, you don't have to." Sharpay said, softly shaking her head.

"But I want to." Troy smiled.

"No," she shook her head, crossing her arms.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes," Troy kept on.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"No…"

"Yes-"

"Ha, you just said yes!" Troy cut her off, and grabbed her hand firmly, "Fix your make-up, and we're having McD's for dinner."

"Ah…" Sharpay gave in, and stood up, "Okay. I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a bit fun…"

"And we will not think about Zeke." Troy said, and smiled at her. It worked out very well for him too. He knew it was selfish, because it hurt both Zeke and Sharpay, but he sorta wanted them to break up for real. If they did, it'd be more okay for him to want her, and it'd be more okay for him to try something with her… If she was single, maybe he'd have the nerve to tell her all about his feelings?

When she had freshened up a bit, she turned around and offered him a small smile, "I'm ready, Troysie, let's get me cheered up a bit!"

Troy hooked his arm with hers, and they danced down the stairs.

--

Tuesday and Wednesday, Sharpay avoided Zeke. She didn't want to even look at him, and the rest of the gang, could feel that something had happened. That their relationship was on ice for the moment. Gabriella wondered if it had anything to do with Sharpay's confusion, but she didn't dare ask. She felt like it was none of her business.

Troy didn't speak much to Zeke either. He knew they were friends, but his loyalty was with Sharpay – they were best friends; they always had been. He supported her more than anyone, and he didn't want to fight with her. He knew she'd get mad if he supported Zeke, so of course he was on her side.

It was now Wednesday, and he was supposed to be at basketball practise. He really didn't want to, though, so he was walking Sharpay home instead. He knew his father would flip a cow on him later, but it was alright. Sharpay had always been worth it, and there was more in life than just basketball. He would be a bit late; he'd just walk her home, then run back to school; that way he'd also be warmed up when he arrived.

"So, you didn't speak to Zeke?" Troy asked, her, with a small smile. Their hands were linked, and walking there with her, he felt like a real couple. He wish they were. Because if they were, he could stop occasionally to kiss her on the mouth, and after that, they'd continue walking. But they weren't… She was still in 'something' with Zeke.

She shrugged, "Nah…"

"Maybe you should?" he suggested, though it hurt him, "There's the party in two days, you know. And I hate to see you all down like this. And I know he cares about you, I just think you scared him."

"Maybe I did." She mumbled, "I mean, I scared myself… I'm just really confused about some things, and I need to figure them out. I didn't want to break up, I love the guy."

"Then maybe you need to tell him that." Troy suggested, as they stopped in front of Sharpay's house, "Make up with him later, Payday."

"I'm gonna give him tonight to be the one to call me up," Sharpay said, with a deep sigh, "And if he doesn't, I'll talk to him tomorrow at school. Is that alright with you, Troysie?"

"As long as you're happy." Troy said, and hugged her tightly, "Well, I better get back."

"Bye Troy!" she waved, as he hurried down the street. His mind wasn't on basketball; he had a bone to pick with Zeke, and he had to do it today. He knew how much it meant to Sharpay that Zeke was the one to break the tension; so he had to make him. And for some reason, he believed it wouldn't be so hard – Zeke worshipped the ground Sharpay walked on.

--

Later that evening, Sharpay was finishing her math homework, while chatting with Gabriella about their science project over the computer. Her cell phone was lying right next to her, ready to be picked up the minute it started ringing. She hadn't had any luck so far, but she really hoped – with all her heart – that Zeke would call. She wished he would. She really couldn't stand this.

"Oh, Sharpay…" she told herself, her voice a sad whisper, "…he's not gonna call. Forget it… It's over. You might as well break up with him for good…"

And just as she was getting over the fact that she'd soon be boyfriend-less, her phone started ringing, with the special ring tone, she knew as Zeke calling. She didn't hesitate a second – she picked up the phone, placing it against her ear, almost breathless;

"Zeke?"

"Shar…" he sounded relieved, she noticed, which made her happy, "Hey babe…"

"Babe?" she questioned, her voice soft; almost a whisper.

"Yeah, of course, babe…" Zeke mumbled, "I love you, Sharpay… I can't imagine my life without you right now. I don't know about the future, but right now… I need you, okay? I'm really sorry, I should have listened to you, instead of getting angry. But you just hurt me…"

"I'm sorry, I really am, Zeke." She replied, now more at ease, when she knew they weren't breaking up, "I'm just… I didn't mean to hurt you, I was just trying to explain to you how I was feeling; I want us to be honest. So I thought I'd share with you… I didn't mean to make it sound like I didn't want you, 'cuz I do, Zeke, I really do want to be with you."

"I want to be with you too," Zeke said, "And I'm glad you shared with me, 'cuz I want us to be honest too. I was just… surprised, I guess. But I've digested the news now, and I really think we need to work on your confusion, 'cuz I don't want to lose you."

"Thanks…" she said, "I don't know what we can do. I figured spending less time together would work, but I realized it's the opposite; we need more time together."

"Sure, I'd love that." Zeke said, and she could hear the smile in his voice, "What do you say? You stay with me after the party this Friday, and we hang out all Saturday? We can do whatever to bond more?"

"I'd love that!" Sharpay exclaimed, a bubbly feeling starting in the pit of her stomach, "We can just… hang out; grow closer again. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too, Shar…" Zeke said, "But I gotta go. See ya' tomorrow, babe?"

"I love you." she replied, before hanging up the phone. But it didn't get to lie there, unused for very long, because she quickly dialled Troy's number, to tell him the good news.

* * *

_I hope I did good on this chapter? And this update was pretty quick too, was it not? I'm proud of myself, for getting back to this fic. I had so much trouble writing this fic some time ago, but I'm glad I'm back to how it used to be. I'm determined to finish this fic. _

_You guys remember my total hair-disaster? Hah! I've got my hair cut again. I went to my aunt's, and she's a professional hairdresser, so she cut it and dyed it. It's so cool, though it's very short. I love it though. You guys probably don't care, but I thought I'd share, since I rambled out to you guys, back when my hair was ruined. _

_**Dedication; **__Alissyn;__ You're so awesome. Your reviews are always great, and they help me get better. And I still cannot believe you were the only one who noticed my slip back then! Hehe xD _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, or any of its characters. _

_Thanks for all the great reviews; you guys are so awesome. Please leave another comment, yeah? _


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Chapter Nineteen **

**The Par-_tay_!**

She was so excited for the party! She couldn't wait to get there. Zeke's parties were always great, and a lot of stuff always happened. They always had fun. And enough of different people went there, so it wouldn't be boring, but not too many people came; so it wasn't too much. It was just perfect.

She looked herself in the framed mirror in the bathroom of Troy's house, holding up first one dress, and then another. She really couldn't decide which one to wear. She had to decide between an ordinary black dress, which held her figure good, or red dress, much shorter than the black, but also a lot cuter. She couldn't decide, it was so tough. She was gonna have to go ask Troy.

She let out a sigh, and hurried across the hall, and into his bedroom, and barged right in. Troy had his huge closet open, and was looking at shirts.

He turned to her with a smile, "Are you almost ready?" he questioned, but figured out he knew the answer; she was only wearing a bathrobe, and her hair was still in a towel. She wasn't ready at all.

"No," Sharpay quickly said, and held out the two dresses, "'Cuz I can't decide which one to wear. You gotta help me, Troy. You always know what looks good on me."

He studied the two dresses for awhile, a thoughtful look on his face. He tried to imagine what she'd look like in both of them. The black dress was one he'd seen her in once before. She'd been wearing that to some sort of dinner, and it'd looked really great on her. It'd showed off her good features. He really believed all her features were good, but she wasn't of the same opinion (apparently, her arms were too long).

And the red dress… he hadn't seen that one before. It was probably new, and she'd probably bought it specially for the party, and was now, getting insecure if she really should wear it. It was a lot shorter than the black, and since he loved her legs, he was all for that. He really adored her long dancer legs. But the black one had a nice cleavage, which the red didn't…

He mentally smacked himself. He wasn't even supposed to think like that. But on the other hand, he reasoned with himself, she did ask for his opinion, so he might as well tell her? Hmm… Nah, it'd have to be the red one. Since it was new, he'd be excited to see her.

"The red one." He confirmed, with a nod of his head, "I think you should pick the red one."

She turned the dresses around, so she could study them, herself. She bit her lip, and looked him in the eye, with a smile, "You're right, Troy. I think I'm gonna have to go with the red one. It's way better." She leaned forward and kissed his cheek, "Thanks for helping."

He goofily chuckled, dazed after the touch of her lips, "…you're welcome."

She went for the door, but stopped in the doorway, and turned to look at him, "I think you should wear the silver shirt I gave you for your last birthday. It goes great with those jeans, and… leave the two top buttons undone."

She left, and he watched her leave, before turning to his closet, immediately taking out the silver shirt.

--

After Lucy had aw-ed at their clothes, and commented how cute they looked together, they were finally in front of Zeke's house. Troy was fuming, because Tatiana had totally made a big deal about them looking _adorable_. She knew it trigged him off, and it was the only reason she did it. Sharpay didn't understand why Troy went along every time. But on the other hand… she knew she did when Ryan teased her too. It was probably a sibling thing. They were made to trig each other off.

She rang the doorbell repeatedly, until the door was opened, and she saw Zeke standing there, looking very handsome, in a pair of jeans, and a t-shirt. It wasn't very often he wore jeans, so she totally took in the moment when he did. She flung herself onto him, with a deep kiss, while Troy brushed past them and into the house.

"You taste like beer, babe." Zeke smirked, when they pulled apart, faces still close.

Sharpay giggled, "We had a few before we left, Troy and I."

"Oh yeah, well go get yourself a drink." Zeke said, and closed the door, as they pulled apart, "Chad is totally mixing things up."

"Cool!" Sharpay replied, and closed the door, as they went into the living room. People were already there; they were probably one of the last ones to arrive. She spotted Gabriella by the 'bar', and let go of Zeke's hand, to go greet her friend. She crossed the room, and made sure Troy was engaged in something else, so he wouldn't see her talking to Gabriella. She didn't want to feel his wrath if he got angry with her.

"Shar!" Gabriella cheered, and wrapped her arms around the blonde girl, "You're looking good, girl."

"Thank you…" Sharpay smiled, and when they pulled apart, she checked out Gabriella's clothes as well. The brunette was not wearing something wild. She was wearing a pair of jeans, and a tube top, "You do too, Gabs… But why not a dress?"

Gabriella swallowed, and got a really guilty look on her face, "I told my mom it was a study thing at Taylor's. She won't let me do this kind of things. But I always feel guilty when I lie to her!"

"Oh…" Sharpay's smile faded, as she understood the other girl's problems, "I understand, Gabby. But you gotta forget it. You're a teenager, live a little!"

"I guess I should…" Gabriella whispered, and turned around to look at the different drinks, "But you gotta help me with this, then… I haven't drunken before, so what do I drink, that's not too strong…?"

Sharpay quickly grabbed a Smirnoff Ice and handed it to her, "Here ya' go, Gabriella… Drink a few of them tonight, it's nothing too much." And then she quickly grabbed some of the mixed stuff in the big bowl, and poured it up for herself, "Anyway… Any cute guys here?"

"Oh…" Gabriella scanned the room, as they crossed the floor, to take two vacant seats in a couch, "I don't think so. There's your boyfriend, of course. Haha."

"Haha yourself." Sharpay replied, but couldn't help but smile. Zeke did look pretty good. She took a sip of her cup, and padded Gabriella on the arm, "…but we gotta get you hooked up with some dude again, Gab. You need to get some action!"

Gabriella shot her an insecure smile, before sipping her bottle, "I'm good, really."

Another silence came between them, but luckily Taylor was born, because she came right there, and broke it; "Hey gals! How's it going? Ready to par-_tay_!?"

Gabriella looked insecure again, but nodded nonetheless, "…sure." She whispered.

"Always!" Sharpay quickly confirmed, and finished out her drink, "I've been looking forward to this forever. I really want to spend some time with Zeke. Of course you guys are here as well, but it's been forever since we were together. I can't wait 'till you guys leave. No offence."

"None taken," Taylor quickly replied, and shot them both a smile, "I understand that. I'd miss Chad too if I didn't see him. And you and Zeke have been like… pretty fragile lately."

"Nothing a good night won't change." Sharpay replied.

Taylor winked at her, "You spending the night?"

"Like duh!" Sharpay giggled, before placing her white plastic cup on the floor. She stood up, and Taylor immediately took her seat, "I'm gonna go see if I can find some of the guys, alright? Talk to ya' chicks later…"

The two girls nodded, and Sharpay hurried away from them, and towards the stereo. She saw Martha in the distance, and the other girl was busy, trying to find some good music. She didn't seem to have luck though, but Sharpay was an expert. She had mixed a good CD yesterday, and had brought it with her. She pulled the CD out of her purse (where it had barely fitted in to begin with), and stopped behind Martha.

"Finding anything good, M?" she questioned, and placed her arms around the other girl.

Martha turned her head to the side, with a cocky smile, "No!" she whined, "Guys have such a bad taste in music! I don't know how they survive with all this techno. Sure, some is good, but _really_…" she arched her eyebrow, to get her point across.

"I know!" Sharpay said, with a giddy smile, as she held the CD out for Martha, "That's why I'm here. To save ya'!"

"Super Shar to the rescue!" Martha laughed, and immediately plopped in the CD, so they could get some real music. She was a party-warty girl. She loved to dance, but techno wasn't really her thing. She knew Sharpay knew what was great for parties, since she was a partier herself – the two of them had often danced together.

They heard the familiar tunes of Alphabeat – _Fascination_ come through the surround sound, and immediately started bobbing their heads along to the music. Sharpay took a few steps backwards, onto the dance floor, and hooked her finger towards Martha, who danced along. When they arrived there, they immediately started dancing closer, and was soon joined by a few other people.

_Easy living,  
killed the young dudes,  
in the high boots  
Teenage,  
in the pace age,  
that's when love burns,  
now it's your turn._

"_FASCINATION_!" they sang, "_FASCINATION! It's just the way we feel…_"

Sharpay turned around when she felt a hand brush over her back, and came face to face with Troy. She left Martha be, knowing she wouldn't mind. She always found someone else to dance with, or hang with. Martha Cox was not a bore!

Troy wrapped his arms around Sharpay's back, and brushed their bodies closer to each others. She placed her arms around his neck, and moved her body too, almost grinding it up against his. People would probably have found it very romantic, and sexual, if they hadn't known Troy and Sharpay like they did. The two of them always did stuff like that, so everyone always just ignored it.

They danced until the song was over, and then Sharpay kissed Troy's cheek, thanked him for the dance, and hurried to sit on Zeke's lap, in the couch, where he was having a wild conversation with Chad.

"…so you can only say, that it really wasn't my fault. It was totally Jason's!" Chad finished, as he laughed at his own comment. He had probably already drunken a bit too much. He always drank way too much before the party even got started, and ended up being passed out for the most of the night. It was weird he never learned from his own mistakes.

"It wasn't dude," Zeke said, laughing along with his friend, just as he wrapped his arms around Sharpay's middle, "It wasn't! It was you. You lost the ball to the other team."

"Nah, man…" Chad said, and shook his head, which made his 'fro bounce from side to side, "It wasn't. I did good."

"Sure…" Zeke laughed, but Chad didn't like that answer, so he just brushed Zeke off, and left to find someone, who'd believe his story. Zeke turned his face to meet Sharpay's, in a light kiss. She placed her hands on his cheek, and held him there for a few seconds, before letting go.

"I miss you so much, babe…" Zeke whispered, hugging her tightly.

"I miss you too." Sharpay replied, and placed another kiss on his lips, "I can't wait until later."

"Me neither." Zeke smiled, "Anyway… Are you having fun? I think it's finally starting to get good. I've been looking forward to this party!"

"Me too, and it's fun," Sharpay smiled, "I haven't been here long, but it'll get groovy." She paused, when she realized what she'd just said, "Or yeah, maybe… _just fun_. A word, that's _not_ from another decade."

Zeke chuckled, "Anyway, I'm gonna go get something to drink…" he brushed her off of his lap, and stood up, "Want anything?"

"Yes please!" Sharpay nodded, with an award-winning smile, "Make sure not to drink too much, Zeke! I can't have you passing out, okay? Don't get wasted!"

"I won't get wasted, what do you take me for?" Zeke said, before running off…

…

"…oh my God," Zeke mumbled, as he leaned himself against the wall in the hallway, "Sharpay, I'm _**so**_ wasted."

"I told you," Sharpay replied, and crossed her arms firmly, to act mad. She wasn't really mad or annoyed though, she was concerned. She hated to see him like this, but Zeke never knew when to stop at parties. He always drank too much. She was kinda used to it.

"You're not gonna feel too good tomorrow, dude." Jason said, and grabbed his arm, to help him stand.

"Do you want to go upstairs and lie down, sweetie?" Sharpay asked, with a soft tone.

Zeke looked at her, with questions in his eyes. They were almost glazed over. He probably had no idea what he was doing. He managed to vaguely nod, so Sharpay turned to Jason.

"Can you help me get him upstairs, please?"

"Sure thing, Blondie." Jason smiled, and took a better hold of Zeke's arm. Sharpay helped him, by supporting Zeke's other side, and they slowly started walking up the stairs. Zeke was a pretty big guy, so he was rather heavy, but they managed. They paused shortly in the hallway upstairs, to catch their breaths.

"You know…" Jason whispered, looking at her, "Zeke has no idea how lucky he is. It's not everyone who'd help carry their drunk boyfriend upstairs. He speaks about you a lot, Sharpay, but he should appreciate you more."

Sharpay couldn't help but smile at his sweet words, "Oh, he does…" she replied, with a soft voice, "He really does, Jason. Thanks for it, though. He always appreciates me. He practically worships the ground I walk on."

"He does love you a lot…" Jason squeaked, knowing his best friend. He had always known Zeke had a weak spot for the 'Ice Princess', but he'd never actually thought Sharpay had heart enough to go out with him. But it turned out she wasn't that bad – she was a very sweet person.

Sharpay couldn't help but sigh. She hated that fact. She hated that Zeke loved her like that, because it made her feel so guilty, about not being just as dedicated to him and their relationship, as he was. But you can't change the way you feel, and _she_ didn't want to. It was all about being herself, and she didn't want to be no one else. She didn't want to live a lie. So she was happy she told Zeke about it all, even if it had hurt him.

"Let's get him into his room…" Jason continued, and with Sharpay's agreement, they made it the last way in there, and let him fall onto the bed. They watched him for a few seconds, as he rolled around, apparently missing a sleeping buddy or something (Sharpay couldn't help but laugh inwardly of that one).

"I'm just gonna…" she sat down on the bed, and gently covered Zeke with his quilt, "…if you don't mind."

"Of course, I'm outies." Jason quickly said, and hurried out of there.

Sharpay was happy he closed the door behind himself, so she tucked Zeke in, to keep him warm. She did care about him – a lot. She didn't know if she would feel this happy, if he wasn't with her, or if she'd be sad, or heartbroken. So right now this was good enough. She stood up and looked around his room for some sort of a bowl (or something usable as a bowl). She found his trashcan, and placed it right beside his head – just in case, before hurrying downstairs again.

Just because her boyfriend was passed out, didn't mean she couldn't have fun! She was _so_ getting a drink!

--

Troy leaned against the wall, and downed his ten thousandth drink of the night. He knew he probably shouldn't drink more, but for the first time in _weeks_ he was really happy. Sure, he smiled when he went to school, but it annoyed him, and it hurt him, when he had to watch Sharpay and Zeke together. The break-up with Gabriella hadn't bothered him that much, it was Sharpay and all her ways…

He couldn't stop thinking about her. He really wanted to be with her. To be able to kiss her like he kissed her in the pool. To kiss her like that whenever he wanted to. It was hurting him so much that he couldn't. He just wanted her! Why wasn't life fair on him, just this once? Why couldn't God let him have just this one thing? He swore, if he got Sharpay, he wouldn't ask for anything else…

He crushed the white plastic cup in his hand, and let it fall to the ground without a care. He didn't care if Zeke's parents' carpet got stained – Zeke would get into trouble. He wasn't really aware of it himself, but people had told him that he became quite mean and angry when he had drunken too much, but it always got good again in like, one-to-two hours. It went really quickly through his system. So if he stopped drinking now, he'd be fine when he left to go home.

He watched everyone dance around the dance floor, his eyes landing on Kelsi, Sharpay and Gabriella, who were dancing together, grinding up against each other. His eyes moved onto Sharpay, and he trailed them along her body. Her long legs were showing off, and they were glistening with sweat and glitter, and the red dress was flowing around them, letting him peek at more, then intended to. The material clung perfectly to her body, though not as tightly as the black one, she'd almost chosen earlier, did. Her hair flew around her face as well, as she swung Kelsi around, and ended back-to-back with Gabriella.

He could tell Sharpay was a bit drunk too, 'cuz she had troubles controlling her actions sometimes. He loved drunk Sharpay, because she got really funny. She didn't know what she was saying, and often rambled on about everything and nothing. She also tended to tell the truth about everything – she once bawled out to Chad what everyone had thought all night long; green was _so_ not his colour.

He stumbled across the floor, and grabbed Sharpay's arm, pulling her into his body. She squealed for a second, until she realized it was him, and then she flung her arms around him, and got over-friendly.

"Hi Troy-boy!" she cheered, and kissed him hard on the lips.

He replied for a second, before hugging her close, "You're looking so hot, Paypay."

"I know!" she replied, and trailed her hands lower on his back, "And you look totally sexy in that shirt…" she giggled.

Troy groaned, and pulled her even closer than before, not that he'd thought it would be possible, "…where's Zeke?" he whispered. He knew he shouldn't be thinking like this, but he wanted to know exactly how far he could go with her. If he could pull her close for a real make-out session, or just peck her on the lips…

"He's passed out upstairs!" Sharpay said, but as realization dawned on her, she pulled back, "He's upstairs! We better go check on him!" she grabbed his hand, and pulled him out of the living room, and into the hallway.

Troy paused out there for a second, and seemed to think things over in his head.

"Come now, Troy!" Sharpay giggled, and dragged him with her, up the stairs. He followed her, stumbling slightly. They paused outside Zeke's room door, and Sharpay shushed him, before pushing the door open. They went inside, and saw Zeke half sleeping, half awake on the bed. They stopped for a second, until the silence was broken by a series of loud, ear-pinching beeps.

Sharpay grabbed onto Troy, and looked around the room, "Oh my God!" she said, clenching his arm, "Oh my God, Troy!"

He looked her in the eyes, his blue ones wide and scared, "It's a bomb, Sharpay!" he said, his voice low and raw, "We better get out of here before it blows up! It's a bomb!"

"We better go downstairs!" she replied, very seriously. She turned to leave, but stopped, when she remembered Zeke, "What about you, babe?" she asked him, with a baby-voice, "I'm gonna have sex with you later, you can't be blown into pieces…"

Zeke groaned and sat up in bed, obviously feeling a whole lot better, and not nearly as drunk as before, "Yeah, I'm looking forward to that… _and calm down guys_!" he said, standing up, "It's just my phone. Ma wants to know how it's going with me and Sharpay's 'romantic night'!"

Sharpay and Troy both burst into giggles, and leaned on each other, to get it out of their systems. A bomb? That was so stupid. Only those two could think a phone was a bomb – it was _so_ Troypay.

"We better get you two downstairs," Zeke said, and took a hold of his girlfriend, and her best friend, "And no more drinks for you guys. Except maybe you Sharpay, 'cuz you get so darn funny to be around."

Sharpay and Troy didn't really reply to that, they just followed orders, and when they were downstairs, Zeke pushed them into a couch, and gave them both a bottle of water. It was nearing two o'clock, and people were leaving. Some left to hang out with their significant others, and some others had other parties they needed to go to. There were still people though, but not much dancing; now they were just sitting there; drinking and talking.

…Zeke came back to check on them later, and found them in another laughing fit. Apparently even the smallest things were funny. Not that he understood their humour to begin with; it had always been a little weird to understand them, when they were together.

"It's emptying around here!" Zeke said, and gestured around the living room, to prove his point; the rest of his guests were getting ready to leave, "Are you going soon too, Troy?"

Troy looked up at him, fully aware of what he was doing. He really didn't want to leave, and leave the two of them alone, "Nah, maybe the three of us can hang out!" he yelled, over the loud music.

Zeke pulled him up by the arm, and away from Sharpay, so she wouldn't hear them talk, "Troy man!" Zeke said, his eyes hard, "I kinda want to be alone with her. We have plans."

"She's completely wasted!" Troy said, pointing back at her, "You can't honestly say you're gonna have sex with her when she's that drunk!"

"But she wants to!" Zeke shrugged.

"Fine…" Troy gave in, and Zeke couldn't help but frown at his voice, "Just… I-… have sex with Sharpay, remember to use a condom!"

Zeke paused, and furrowed his brow, "A what did you just say?" he asked, because for his ears, it had sounded like Troy just told him, that when Troy _himself_ slept with Sharpay, he'd make sure to remember a condom. That wasn't right, was it?, "Did you just say you're gonna sleep with Shar?"

"No!? Where did you get that idea?!" Troy exclaimed, and took a step back, suddenly afraid Zeke would blow up at him.

Zeke paused again, and shrugged, "…forget it."

They said goodbye to the rest of the guests leaving, and went towards the couch again, only to find a sight they didn't want to see… Sharpay was throwing up in a bowl. Troy hurried over there, and held her hair back, while Zeke just watched, disgusted by it all. She placed the ball on the floor, and looked up at them, managing a weak smile.

"Gosh, I feel so much better now…" she whispered, and stood up, with the help of Troy.

"Are you sure I shouldn't take her home to her own bed?" Troy asked, turning to Zeke, "We can always step by tomorrow and help you clean everything up?"

Zeke looked at Sharpay for a few seconds, "Yeah… let's agree on that. She does not look too good. Just take care of her, Troy…" he paused, "Make sure she gets home alright."

"Don't worry," Troy said, and smiled, as he wrapped an arm around Sharpay, "I will."

"Goodnight Zeke…" Sharpay smiled, and waved at him. She managed to grab a water bottle on the way out, and immediately sat it to her mouth, to drink it all, and clear it out.

"I have some gum in the car…" Troy smiled, as he helped her down the sidewalk.

"Thank you," Sharpay smiled, and opened the passenger's seat, "Thanks for taking me home. I feel alright, though. I'm really not that drunk, Troysie. I just think I got some bad… _something_." She giggled, "…it really needed to get out."

"So you're not even drunk?" Troy questioned, with an arch of his eyebrow. He didn't quite believe that fact, as she couldn't even walk straight, "I find that hard to believe."

"Just start the car, Troysie…" Sharpay laughed, as she poured the half of his gum-pack into her mouth, and chewed a few times, before spitting it out of the window. Troy just ignored her behaviour right now. If he watched, he'd laugh, and then he wouldn't be able to drive; it was a bad thing.

She pulled up her dress, and lifted the material off of her body, by the neck, to get some air, "It's hot in here…" she told him, with a huge sigh, "Darn! What a party!"

Troy couldn't help but eye her, as her boobs almost popped out in the open. She wasn't really wearing any bra – it was totally hot. She looked hot as hell, even if she was drunk, and he almost couldn't control himself, when she was acting like that. It was kinda tough to admit, but Sharpay always got very needy when she'd had too much to drink. She flirted with all the guys she could, and made out with half of them. It was funny, because he always made sure she didn't go too far with anyone, he didn't want her to end up like that.

"Troysie…" she whispered, and moved a warm hand up his arm, "…why are you not smiling? Are you angry with me?"

"No, Sharpay," Troy said, and shook his head softly, quickly looking at her, "I'm not angry with you. I just need to focus on the road. We're almost there."

Sharpay looked a bit upset, and pulled back, resting her head against the seat, "Fine…" she groaned, but two seconds later she seemed to have forgotten her 'upset-ness', and smiled brightly at him again, "I'm glad you took me home. I didn't really want to be with … Zeke… Isn't that his name?"

"Yeah, Sharpay," Troy said, as his car came to a stop, in front of his house, "That's his name. Your _boyfriend_."

Sharpay seemed to take the news in, and swallowed hard, licking her lips. She turned her head to the side, to look at him, with no intensions of getting out of the car. He figured that was okay. He didn't really want to leave her anyway. He kinda just wanted to be with her. She was so amazing, even when she'd had a few drinks.

"Is Zeke really my boyfriend?" she questioned, staring at him, very intensely.

"Yes." Troy answered, with a nod of his head, "Yes, he is."

"Why am I not dating you?" she asked, but before he managed to answer, she had continued on her own, "Oh yeah, I know why… You like Gabriella…" she paused, and stifled a chuckle, "It's so weird, Troy, 'cuz I… I had a crush on you! …before… before Bagriella came…" she paused, and stared at him.

Troy was just watching her curiously. That wasn't believable. It couldn't be true. Had she really had a crush on him, where he hadn't known!? How stupid can one be…? If it was true, he cursed himself. Why hadn't he had her while he had the chance…? Gosh, he wish he could have her…

"And…" she continued, her face moving closer to his, "And then I missed you all vacation, but when you came back, it was all about her… Bagriella…" she shook her head, and closed her eyes, "But now," she continued, opening them again, to stare into his deep blue ones, "Now… I'm the one with a boyfriend, and you are in love with me. Her-she… told me… her, your ex-girlfriend, she told me. And I think you are."

He swallowed hard, trying to resist the temptation her lips gave him. He couldn't. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, before pulling back again.

"You are…" she stated, with a huge smile "Ironic, isn't it? I should have known back then, Troy… We could have been a lot. And even if I am with Zeke, I would still… I mean, if you – if you kissed me, I'd kiss you back, even if I have Zeke. You're a lot sweeter, and hotter… I love you so much."

Troy closed his eyes, and just wanted it all to disappear. He couldn't take this. He wanted nothing but to hug her, and tell her he loved her, and they could still become a great couple; the perfect couple. He knew she spoke the truth; she always did when she was drunk. But she wasn't too drunk either, because he'd experienced her drunk, and when she was that, she was impossible to be around.

She reached her hand out and placed it on his cheek, turning his face to her, their noses brushing, "…could you kiss me, Troy? I want you to kiss me."

He looked her deeply in the eyes, and behind all the blurred emotions, he was able to make out love. He was debating so much with himself; he was in deep conflict. He wanted to kiss her, she looked so enchanting. She was beautiful, and hot… But he knew he shouldn't. She had a boyfriend, and she wasn't in her right mind…

…but _she_ asked _him_ to kiss _her_. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She said she'd had a crush on him. Maybe it was okay. Maybe it wouldn't be wrong, maybe he should just…

He slowly leaned in, and placed his lips on hers. She tasted like alcohol and gum, but the feeling that erupted in his chest was amazing. Warmth floated from his heart and through his entire body, down to his toes, and all the way to his fingertips. She immediately kissed him back, her smooth lips moving over his rather rough ones. Her small hands moved to lay around his neck, while he somehow managed to slide her from her own seat, and onto his lap, to be able to have her even closer.

She groaned slightly, when he moved his hands beneath her dress, and to her thighs, and he trailed his kisses down her collarbone, to her cleavage. He longed to have her closer – he longed to feel her skin beneath his own. He'd waited for so long, and he couldn't wait anymore. She wanted this as much as he did, and he Goddamned deserved to have some happiness. It was very wrong, but still so very, very right.

"Could you-" her breath hitched in her throat, as he hit a soft spot, "Could you take me inside?"

"We-" kiss "-have to-" kiss "-be silent…" he managed to get out.

Her breath was quick and rapid, as her hand fumbled for the door handle. She found it, and pushed the car open, "…fine… just come on…" she told him, as he stumbled out of the car, and managed to lock the car. He couldn't really think straight, all he thought about was her.

He knew where this was going, and as much as he wanted his first night to be memorable, he also wanted his first time to be with her. Maybe this was his only chance. He had to jump at it. He could handle the consequences, he was sure he could. He decided to just enjoy himself, and deal with everything later.

Because, just as they stumbled into his bedroom, kissing, with Sharpay's dress half-off, his biggest dream was coming true. No matter how many reasons there was not to do this, he could always found ten others that told him to do it.

_He loved her.

* * *

_

_Please guys; don't hate Troy. I'm begging you, don't hate him, even if I find him stupid and dumb right now. I need this for the story, so please bear with him. And if you can't, just try and put yourself in his shoes… I'm sure there's SOMEONE out there who'd do the same. Haha. _

_And Fascination by Alphabeat is one of the most played party songs in Denmark right now. They play it at every party, and you never get tired of it, even if the CD is a little old now._

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, that belongs to Disney. I also don't own Fascination, that song belongs to Alphabeat, which is the most awesome band ever. _

_**Dedication; **__My cat Tulle (no Bethany; NOT __**SHARPAY**__!), because she's the best cat ever, and right now she's lying half on my keyboard, and half on my hand, which makes it very hard to write – I love her though. She's so cute xD _


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Chapter Twenty**

**Not Another Morning After **

Sharpay groaned slightly, and turned around in her bed, searching for her pillow. Somehow, she must have missed it during the night, because she was lying on the mattress, which wasn't very comfortable. She turned around on her stomach, but gasped when she realized how sore she was.

What had she been up to last night? Surely she couldn't have danced enough to feel this bad? She'd danced way more at other parties! Hm, that was weird… She opened her eyes, because she still couldn't find her pillow, and immediately realized she was in Troy's room. After all, she had slept there so many times before, so there wasn't really anything weird about that. She vaguely remembered Troy telling Zeke that he'd bring her home, but the rest after that was a blur… Troy must not have wanted to wake up Ryan and Ashlee too, so he'd just brought her with him.

She looked around the bed, to find Troy's pillow and steal it from him, but almost screamed when she came face to face with a naked Troy. She covered her mouth, and moved backwards, which caused her to fall off the bed, and land on the floor with a thud. She grabbed the quilt when Troy's eyes snapped open and he sat up in bed.

"What the hell happened!?" Sharpay shrieked, eyes wide, as she clutched the quilt close to her body, not letting him get one peek. How had they ended up naked? Surely, they hadn't slept together, had they…? She gulped, when the truth dawned on her. If she was this sore, it could only mean…, "Oh my God." She whispered, more to herself than to Troy, "SHIT TROY!" she then yelled, and angrily stared at him.

"Scchy!" Troy said, to calm her down, "Be quiet, or they'll hear you!"

"How the hell could we let this happen!?" she whisper-yelled. She had always been awesome at that; whisper-yelling, "We're best friends for crying out loud! I have a boyfriend! What happened!?"

"I dunno!" he hissed back, but couldn't help but shoot her a smile. He knew for sure what had happened. Everything was clear in his mind. He remembered last night clearly, and it had been one of the most amazing nights of his life.

"Oh my God…" Sharpay whispered, and buried her head in her hands, "I'm a slut, I'm a whore, I've slept with my best friend. I have a boyfriend, WHY THE HELL AM I NOT WITH ZEKE!?"

"Scchy!" Troy repeated, eyes wide.

Sharpay bit her lip, and tried to calm down. They had to think of a way to forget this, to move pass it, and go on. What were they gonna do? She still couldn't believe she had slept with Troy. Not that she really remembered any of it, in her current state. It'd probably come back sometime during this day or the next, it usually did.

They sat in silence for awhile; Sharpay staring into the air, eyes blank, and Troy watching Sharpay curiously. Last night had been just… wow. He knew she probably remembered nothing; not how amazing it had been, and not her revelation, and not all the stuff she said about Zeke. He wished she did though, because if she did, this would have been a lot easier. He couldn't very well explain it to her, risk was that she wouldn't believe it, chance was that she would. But there was still a whole lot of things to deal with, and it wasn't that easy. All he knew though was that he wanted to be with her. It was clear to him now, if there had been doubt before.

He just had to tell her he loved her.

He was about to open his mouth and speak, when he heard feet coming up the stairs. Sharpay must have heard it too, because she turned to him, eyes wild. They couldn't be caught like this, it was the wrong way. Troy's parents shouldn't know about this.

"Quick, quick!" Troy continued, still whisper-yelling (though he wasn't as good at it, as Sharpay was), and launched forward to grab her clothes from the floor, "Into the closet, hurry, hurry!"

Sharpay grabbed the quilt completely, and hurried up, grabbing her dress on the way. She went into the closet, and as soundlessly as possibly, closed the door behind her. Troy stared around the room, as the someone came closer to his door, and gulped when he saw her thong on the floor. He threw himself down behind the bed and grabbed the piece of clothing, as the door to his room opened, then he just managed to hide his lower half behind the bed; shielding him from view, except his head.

"Morning Troy!" Lucy smiled, and sheepishly looked around the room, "What are you doing behind the bed?" she asked, an accusing tone in her voice.

"Eh…" Troy trailed off, thinking of a good excuse, "Sitting." He said, before adding, "…this is where I… uhm, sit."

She arched an eyebrow, and nodded, "Alright. I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready. T picked up freshly baked bread. Grab a shirt and come down, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, mom." Troy quickly said, nodding his head wildly. This situation would have been hilarious, had it not been himself in it. If Chad had told him, he'd been hiding Taylor in his closet, while sitting naked behind his bed, Troy would have laughed his head off, "I'll be right there." He added.

Lucy turned around to leave, and Troy breathed a sigh of relief. However, she stopped in her tracks, and poked her head back into the room again. She nodded towards the closet, a secret smile on her face, "And tell Sharpay she's welcome to stay too." She continued.

The door to the closet opened, and Sharpay poked her head out, an embarrassed look on her face, "Thanks, Lucy…" she said, and tried to muster a smile, "I'll be right down, as well."

Lucy nodded, "Grab a shirt too." She said, before she closed the door behind her, and left.

"Well, that one went good!" Troy optimistically said, and shot Sharpay a cheesy smile.

She just gave him her death-glare, and leaned her head against the side of the closet, still not coming out, "…this is the worst thing that could ever happen. She knew, Troy! What are we gonna do!?"

"Let's just go down there and eat, alright. They probably won't mention anything. Grab your underwear and my shirt, and we'll act completely normal." Troy said, and searched for his boxers, on the messy floor.

Sharpay shielded her eyes from the view, and groaned, "I'm not gonna come out of here before you leave, Troy. I'm not gonna be naked in front of you. Just grab your own clothes, and I'll be right down."

Troy turned his back to her, and rolled his eyes, just as he found his boxers. He quickly took them on, and found an old t-shirt as well. He took it on too, and went for the door, "Hurry up, or mom'll ask questions."

She nodded, and he took that as his cue to leave. He closed the door behind him, and made his way down the stairs, determined to act normal. He didn't know if his mom had just heard them fight, or whatever, but it really wasn't her business. He just hoped Sharpay wouldn't be acting weird. He needed to tell her how he felt, but how could he do that if she wouldn't think or talk about it?

He made his way into the kitchen, to find the rest of his family already eating. He grabbed his chair and poured himself some juice, ignoring the looks they all gave him. He buttered a slice of bread, and slowly started eating it, still not looking anyone in the eye. He checked the kitchen clock; five minutes had passed, and Sharpay still wasn't there. And then he finally looked up, and locked eyes with his father, "What?" he asked.

Jack quickly became very interested in his coffee, "—nothing." He replied, before taking a sip.

Troy nodded at that, and continued on his breakfast. When he was almost done with his slice, Sharpay came walking into the kitchen, looking at the floor. She took her usual chair, and sat down, now staring at the table. She was sitting next to Troy, but as far away from him as the chair would allow her.

"Good morning, Sharpay." Lucy said, trying to get Sharpay to talk, and act normally.

Sharpay looked up, and tried to smile at her, "'Morning." She whispered, before she reached out for the milk.

There was a silence around the table for awhile. Tessa was fidgeting on her chair, eyeing Sharpay. Jack was drinking his coffee, unusually loud. Lucy was watching her son, and Sharpay interestingly. And Tatiana, she had a mischievous smile on her lips. She almost couldn't control herself. She knew they'd freak out on her, but she couldn't let it pass. And after all, she was supposed to be an annoying big sister, why not act her part?

She swallowed, and dared to mutter, "Eek, eek, eek irrh," as a bed, that creaked and squeaked.

Troy's eyes immediately shot up, and his face got angry, but Sharpay's lower lip started to tremble, and soon tears were spilling down her cheeks. She placed her head in her hands, and cried silently, before her cries turned into sobs, and the rest of the people in there turned to look at her, concerned. Tatiana immediately felt guilty, and Lucy didn't know what to do. It was not the reaction she had expected Sharpay to have during all this. What exactly had happened between the two teens? She knew they had slept together, they could all hear Troy's bed throughout the night, because it was creaking like crazy, but what more had been going on?

Sharpay was still sobbing, but was trying to dry her eyes, so she could look somewhat presentable.

Troy was concerned, "Sharpay…?" he asked, and reached an arm out to hug her, "Don't worry it'll be-"

"Don't touch me!" she shrieked, and jumped out of her seat, which caused her chair to bang into the floor. She just stood there, her whole body trembling, and Troy's arm was still reaching out, but for nothing. He looked hurt…, "Don't touch me, please…" she continued, in a whisper.

"But, Payday…" Troy tried again, and stood up, trying to envelope her in a hug, but she brushed him away, and kept walking backwards, until her back hit a wall. Troy took the hint, and stopped in the middle of the kitchen, aware that they were all looking at them, "Sharpay…" he whispered, his voice soft, "Calm down, Pay…"

She shook her head, and frantically brushed her tears away, though they were still streaming down her cheeks, "No!" she yelled, finally looking up at him, "No, Troy! How could we let this happen!? We're best friends! I remember nothing! How could we get so drunk that we wouldn't even notice we slept together, huh? I always thought we were different from all those other friends! But we're not! We're just the same…" she paused, and sobbed, "…how could we let this happen?" she repeated.

"But Payday…" Troy said, and dared to take a step closer to her, "I'm sorry if you feel that way, but…" he debated what to tell her, but he had to get it out, because otherwise she'd be like this for a _very long time_, and he needed her, so was just gonna go for the truth, "I wasn't drunk. You were telling me all kinda things. Things from before Gabriella came, about you. About Zeke, and about Me. About you and me… And then you just…" he paused, and locked eyes with her, "You just kissed me. And I've been… I've been in love with you for _so long _now. I couldn't control it, not when you kissed me."

"So I kissed you!?" she yelled, anger boiling within her. She may have kissed him, but that didn't mean he could just sleep with her. They'd kissed plenty of times before!, "So I kissed you, and you decided to take advantage of me!" she shook her head, and took a few steps to the side, so she was closer to the backdoor, "Some friend you are Troy! I can't believe you were horny enough to sleep with your best friend…" she swallowed hard, as a new bash of tears started streaming down her cheeks, "I… I don't _ever_ wanna see you again!" she yelled, before running out, slamming the door behind her.

Troy let out a deep sigh, and turned to stare at his family, fighting not to cry. He didn't want to cry in front of them. His father was eyeing him, with a weird spark in his eye. Tatiana was softly shaking her head at him, and Tessa was looking at one of them, and then another. Sure, she was old enough to understand what was going on, but she really didn't… Sharpay's behaviour confused her.

The worst was Troy's mom. She looked… disappointed.

"It wasn't like that," Troy whispered, staring her deeply in the eyes, "It wasn't li-" his voice cracked, "-like that, mom. I swear… I love her."

She mustered a small smile, and gave him a reassuring nod, before standing up, to hug him. Troy wrapped his arms around her, glad that someone was there for him.

He had no idea what he was gonna do.

--

Sharpay let the hot water stream down her body, scrubbing herself over and over again with a loafer and a whole pack of soap. She was disgusted with herself. She had cheated on Zeke! How could she even do that? How could she get drunk enough to kiss Troy… Sure, they'd kissed, but maybe this time it had been different.

She still couldn't believe that Troy would use her like that. He knew how drunk she got at parties; he'd always helped her. And even if he'd gotten a few drinks himself, he shouldn't have done this. She was so angry. She didn't know what to do with herself. She wanted to kill him right now, no lie. She could never see him again; she could never trust him again. Their friendship was over… They were no more.

She didn't know why, but that fact hurt more than anything. More than knowing she had cheated on her boyfriend; the boy she loved. It hurt more than the fact that her parents were never home. She wanted to cry, but it seemed like she was dried out. No more tears were left in her body. She had cried and cried and cried, since she got into the shower, an hour ago. Her skin was all wrinkled, but she couldn't muster the strength to get out, and get dressed.

She couldn't never see him again… What was she gonna do without him? She loved him so much. Sure, she was over the state of 'being in love with him', but she still loved him with all her heart. She had been devastated back when she'd liked him so much, and he hadn't liked her back. She'd been crushed when Gabriella came along, and stole her man. But then she'd realized, they were just friends, and they'd never be anything more. She had decided to move on, and dating Zeke had seemed like the perfect plan… And it had been. She loved Zeke. But now she had cheated on him. What was she gonna do about this whole mess?

"SHARPAY!?"

She turned her showerhead off, when she heard Ryan's voice through the locked door, and his fists banging on it, "What!?" she yelled back, as she slipped out of the shower and grabbed a towel. The room was full of steam, and she almost couldn't see where she was going. She made it to the door, though, and locked it open, letting the fresh air from her room hit her in the face.

"I was worried…" Ryan said, and eyed her there, in only a towel, "You've been in there for so long. What happened? Ashlee, Tub and I were getting worried."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I was just… cleaning myself after the party."

"Oh…" Ryan said, and nodded his head, "You and Zeke got dirty?"

She swallowed, and softly nodded her head, "Something like that."

"Okay…" Ryan said, and quickly gave her a hug, "Hurry up and get dressed. Lunch is almost here; we ordered Chinese. I have something to tell you later, alright?"

Even though Sharpay was sad over her own problems, her curiosity was peeked when Ryan said something like that. She had always learned (after last time), that she should listen to him, even if she was having troubles herself. She wanted to be a good sister, and it looked like he had good news.

"I'll hurry, save me an egg roll." She smiled, as Ryan nodded, and left the room. She went across her huge bedroom, and opened her drawer. She picked out a pair of underwear and a bra, quickly letting her towel drop, to take them on. Then she found a pair of grey Everlast sweatpants, pulled them on, and found a pink sports top, as well. She turned around to go to her bathroom again, but stopped when she looked through her window, and saw Troy standing there, staring sadly at her. She crossed the room, and angrily pulled her drapes for, giving him a hard stare. Then she went into the bathroom, brushed her hair, made two braids, and did a light make-up.

When she was satisfied, she danced downstairs, trying to get herself into a happy mood. If she didn't try really hard, they'd all notice right away. And even if she was so confused and so hurt herself, she didn't want to worry them. She didn't even want them to know about it. The fewer people who knew, the less chance there was for Zeke to find out. She knew Troy would never tell, and his family wouldn't either. She definitely didn't want to herself as well, so who could spill the beans?

"Hey family…" she smiled, and took the last spare chair around the counter.

Tobias shot her a smile, and pushed a box of Chinese across the counter, for her to eat, "What happened last night? You look bombed?" he laughed.

She shot him a glare, "Yeah, yeah. Have you looked at yourself much? You look hideous?!"

"What's the thing across your face?" Ashlee asked, and pointed, very obviously, at his nose. Sharpay couldn't help but giggle.

"It's something I smell with." Tobias replied, and then turned to Sharpay, pointing at her nose, "And you shouldn't speak, ms. Evans, 'cuz you have a huuuge nose."

"Thank you, but I love it." Sharpay replied, and rubbed it for a second, before digging into her food. She was quite hungry since she hadn't really had time to eat anything at Troy's, before rushing out of there. She hadn't really been hungry, having to swallow everything, but now, when it was digested, she could feel a huge empty hole in her stomach. And when she'd eaten this, she was either gonna go straight to bed, or go for a long refreshing walk. She hadn't really settled her mind on which one yet, but she could almost hear her bed calling her name, because she was _that _tired.

"Did Zeke drive you home, or did you walk, this morning?" Ryan asked, as they sat in silence and enjoyed their food.

"I didn't spend the night with Zeke," Sharpay replied, knowing she had to tell him where she spent the night, because if she told them she was at Zeke's house, and then he later asked if she got home alright, it'd be too suspicious, "I was with Troy. I think I was totally wasted. So I was at Troy's house."

"Oh…" Ryan replied, and watched her for a second. Something didn't quite add up there, but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"What about you guys?" Sharpay then asked, "What time did you go home?"

"Quite early," Tobias replied, with a shrug, "That party was such a bore. There were much more… _pleasant_ things to do at home."

Sharpay narrowed her eyes in on him, as she realized what the huge news Ryan had to tell her were. They had probably gotten… _diiiirty_ last night. She laughed to herself, and continued on her food.

"I have some news!" Ashlee then told them, with a huge smile.

"And what's that?" Ryan asked her.

"Mommy and daddy are coming home soon." She said, and you could tell how happy she was because of that. Being the youngest, she really missed her parents, "They're not completely sure when, but they're coming home soon, and staying for as long as possible. And this time it'll be more than a week. Daddy promised."

Sharpay couldn't help but get a smile on her own face as well, "For real?" she asked.

"Yeah," Ashlee nodded.

"…that's so great." Sharpay whispered, before emptying her box, and jumping off of her seat. Yup, her bed really _was_ calling her name.

--

Sharpay groaned, when she heard her cell phone rang. She turned onto her side, and her eyes caught the clock on her bedside table. It showed 7:37pm. Holy shit! Had she slept that long?! She quickly sat up in bed, and looked around. Sure, it was turning darker outside, she could see it through the slit between her drapes. She fumbled with her lamp, and eventually it was turned on. Then her eyes searched for her phone, and just when she found it, it stopped ringing.

She scrolled through her caller-list, and realized she had like, thirty missed calls from Troy. She threw her phone on the bed, and got up, hurrying into the bathroom to check her appearance. She washed her face carefully, and fixed her hair, before going into her room again, and turning on the computer. She leaned back in her chair, and let out a huge yawn, stretching her arms. It was so good tomorrow was Sunday. She had no plans, and she could just…

She sat straight up, when she got a good idea. She was gonna have to call Gabriella later. She knew the girl and her mother went to Church every Sunday. Maybe they wouldn't mind bringing her? Naturally, she wasn't a very religious person, but she felt like she needed a word from God, or something. Speaking religiously, she had sinned, so why not do it? Yeah… She was gonna have to ask to tag along.

She logged onto her computer, just as her phone rang. She picked it up, and looked at the display, it was Troy again. She threw it back onto the bed, and went back to her chair, just as a knock was heard on her door.

"Come in!" she said, and turned her chair around. She couldn't help but smile when she saw Ryan in the door.

He closed it behind himself, and went to sit on her bed. He had a huge smile on his face, "So…" he said, "I had something very exciting to tell you!"

"Yeah?" she questioned, not wanting to guess. He seemed so excited, and she didn't want to ruin it for him.

"Tobias and I… sorta… slept together last night." He blushed for a second, and then locked eyes with her.

She couldn't contain an excited scream, and clapped her hands in delight, "Finally! How was it? Was it great? Was it perfect…? Please tell me you guys are still together."

"Oh, we're still together…" Ryan said, with a knowing smile, "I know you've already slept with Zeke, and I tried to imagine what it was like to do it, but I couldn't… I tried though, and what I imagined was nothing like the real thing. It was… incredible."

"I know, isn't it?" Sharpay said, in a dream-like state, "To be that close and intimate to another person. You're gonna get to know every inch of him. Just wait, it'll only get better."

"I can imagine." Ryan replied.

"Now, only to tell mom and dad you're gay?" Sharpay said. She was sorta nervous for him. Sure, their parents were open-minded, but still… It was huge news, and they probably hadn't expected their only son to turn gay. He was gonna carry on the family name for Christ's sake!

"I hope they take it well." Ryan said, with a shrug, "Tobias already told his parents, and they're cool with it. They even said I could always move in if my parents threw me out."

Sharpay smiled sadly, hoping that wouldn't happen. They couldn't be that cruel, could they?, "Anyway…" she said, "Thanks for sharing, Ry."

"Yeah," he said, staring her down, "Unlike you, I don't hide these things from my twin."

Sharpay just smiled at him. Ryan laughed, and stood up, to leave, just as her cell rang again. He quickly picked it up, and seeing Troy's name across the screen, he flicked the phone open with his finger;

"Hey, Troysie!" he said, with a high-pitched voice, and Sharpay closed her eyes. She couldn't believe Ryan ruined her 'never speak to Troy again'-plan, just like that, "Nah, it's me, Ryan…" he laughed, and changed his voice back to normal, "Yeah, she's right here."

Sharpay received the phone from Ryan, on his way out of the room, and she placed it against her ear, with a huge sigh, "Hey Troy…"

"Hi!" he said, sounding very relieved, "I'm so glad you wanted to hear me out, Sharpay. Really, I didn't mean it like that, and I _didn't_ take advantage of you, I swear, you wanted to as much as I did. Maybe even _more_, and I was just… I lo-"

Sharpay cut his ramble off, "Shut up, Troy!" she said, angry tears in her eyes again, "I thought we were best friends, and best friends don't do this shit. I can never trust you again, and I meant what I said. Our friendship is ruined, and I don't ever wanna see you again, no matter how many apologizes you have. Alright? Am I getting through to you?"

"But Sharpay, I-"

She closed the phone with a flick of her finger. Angry tears were streaming down her face, and she did the only thing she could really think of to make herself feel better. She quickly scrolled through her phone-book, and found Gabriella's name. Her finger lingered there for a second, in doubt, before pressing the call-button.

* * *

_So, last chapter I asked you all not to hate Troy. Thankfully you guys didn't, and now I'm more worried if you're gonna hate Sharpay? I hope you guys won't! I know she's reacting really badly to this. Some people would have been cool and collected, but I think Sharpay is just… not one of those people, lol. I hope it's alright. _

_Thanks for all the great reviews, though. You guys rock! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas, mine was fine. I saw my dad, so yeah xD _

_**Disclaimer; **__Don't own 'em. _


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**Chapter Twenty One **

**How Nice it Would Be, to Be a Cat **

Sharpay woke up, when she heard her phone beep. She managed to reach her arm out, and grab her phone, so she could check her new text message. She flipped her phone open, and a smile got on her face, when she saw Gabriella's name across the screen. She opened the text message, and read it:

_Hi there (: Ready to go to Church with us? Ma is excited that you want to join us. We'll be picking you up around nine. Hugs, Gabriella._

Sharpay couldn't help but smile even wider, when she typed back. Gabriella did sound a bit too formal writing a text message, in her opinion. But the other girl only wanted to do good. She did the best she could. Sharpay suspected she just never used slang or anything. She was a nerd – or a genius, as Sharpay now liked to prefer to the smarter kids as. She really liked her new friendship with Gabriella, so why call her something she wasn't? Gabriella was far from a nerd.

She closed her phone with a sigh, and placed it on her bedside table, quickly checking the time. It was almost 8:30, so she had to get up soon. She figured Church didn't care if you were dressed up, but she also knew that most people did. She wanted to look good, because she almost never went to Church, only on rare occasions.

She got out of bed, and stumbled into her huge bathroom, turning on the shower, so the water could get hot, before she had to get in there. While it heated up, she chose out an outfit, a nice, good-girl one. If Gabriella was anything like her mother, she knew Mrs. Montez would expect that. It was a red skirt, and a white, button up, dress-shirt. She was gonna wear her ballerina shoes with, and just straighten her hair. This was a really big deal to her. After that night, she was gonna need a word from God.

She stepped into the shower, and took the quickest one of her life. She had to hurry, they would be here soon. When she got out, she dried off, and put on her clothes, immediately working on her hair. She kinda multitasked, with straightening hair, and doing her make up, and such… Just hurrying, so she'd make it all.

When she was done it was almost nine, so she went downstairs, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table, and scribbled a note for Ryan and Ashlee. Then she went outside, and waited for Gabriella and her mother. Luckily, she didn't have to wait very long, because a little red car stopped by the curb, and Gabriella came out of the door, because it was one of those cars with only two doors. Sharpay gave Gabriella a quick hug, and pulled the seat back, to get into the backseat.

"Hey Sharpay, darling." Mrs. Montez smiled, looking over the headrest, to greet the other girl, "It's nice you want to go to Church with us."

"Thank you for taking me, I really appreciate that." Sharpay replied, as Gabriella pulled the seat into place, and sat down, to get buckled up, "It's nice of you." she quickly added.

"You're always welcome, Shar." Gabriella said, and then poked her mom on the arm, "Look Ma, see their house. Isn't it big?"

Mrs. Montez bent forward, so she could look out of the window, and her eyes went wide, when she saw the huge mansion the Evans family lived in, "Wow," she whispered, and looked at Sharpay again, "I know Gabby told me you were a rich family, but that's huge."

"I know," Sharpay said, and leaned back in the seat, "Mom and dad work a lot. They aren't that much home, that's why they earn all those money. We hardly see them. I guess I'd trade some of all my stuff, to spend more time with them, you know… But then we have the Boltons, they're so sweet to us, and they live right next door, and…" she trailed off, when several of good reasons, as to why she shouldn't speak of the Boltons, occurred in her mind.

1), Gabriella's relationship to all Bolton was sorta weak.

2), her own relationship to one particular Bolton was definitely weak. It was the reason she was sitting in this car.

3), and she just didn't want to bring anyone down by some depressing relationships. This was new day, and it was only nine o'clock – the day was still young.

"Sure," Mrs. Montez smiled, "Gabby did tell me all about your relationship with Troy. I'm sorry about your parents though. Jack and Lucy are nice people, so it's a great thing that you have them…"

"Ma?" Gabriella cut in, her voice sharp, "Can we drive now?"

Sharpay shot Gabriella a small smile. Her guess would be that the Latina girl was still very confused about her relationship with Troy, even if she was over him. Sharpay couldn't help but slap herself inwardly. Gabriella had been right. Troy had somehow wanted her. Even if it was only sexual, Gabriella must have seen it from a thousand miles distance. She felt bad about telling the girl off now, but she wasn't gonna admit it. And she couldn't; no one would know about her and Troy.

"So," she spoke up, to think of something else, "I'm really excited about this. I can't actually remember when it was the last time I went to Church. I'm not even sure what we do at Church."

"You should tag along more often, then," Gabriella replied, looking at her, through the rear-view mirror, "We go every Sunday, so just ask, and we'll pick you up."

"That'd be great, thank you a lot." Sharpay smiled. She really was grateful that they wanted to bring her with them. They had a small little beat-up car; she was the rich one, and yet they picked her up without a flinch. She really believed she could grow to love these two people. Gabriella was such a sweetheart, and Mrs. Montez was an awful lot like her, "Anyway.." she said, and decided to let them in on a little idea she had gotten last night, "I just thought I'd take you out afterwards for coffee or something. There's this cute place down the road. Tatiana used work there, and they have some awesome coffee."

"You don't have to do that, Sharpay." Mrs. Montez said, as she started the car, and drove towards the Church.

"But I want to." Sharpay argued, her eyes smiling, "You guys are so nice to me. I'd feel better if I took you out, really."

"Yeah, ma." Gabriella said, looking at her mother. She felt like it would be cool to go to a café. She had never really done that before; it wasn't a very Gabriella-y thing to do, "Let her take us out if she wants to."

"Thank you Gabriella!" Sharpay smiled, glad that she saw her point.

"I guess it would be nice with some coffee…" Mrs. Montez trailed off, and shot Sharpay a cheeky grin through the rear-view mirror, "Aw, let's do it then."

"Great!" Sharpay smiled, and excitingly clapped her hands together, "This is gonna be such a great day!"

--

_He stared down at her in awe. Her brown eyes were looking up at him in wonderment; as if she'd never seen anything like him before. They shone with such a light, but they were also clouded with several emotions. Love, lust… affection. He stroked her chin lightly, before placing several kisses all over her face._

_She shuttered beneath him, and pulled him in for another kiss. Their tongues fought immediately, hers brushing over his own with such a force. He'd known she was a great kisser for a very long time, but this was still different… It was passion. It was lust. It wasn't just a kiss in the pool, this was so much more. _

_He trailed his hands down her body, and discovered every curve of her skin; touched every inch of it. She had a nice ivory colour to her body, and he loved it. He knew, of course, that she was beautiful and had a sexy body, but he'd never seen her this way. It was a new experience, and he loved it. He loved watching her writhe beneath him. _

_He couldn't believe that his first time was gonna be with her. He'd dreamt of that for so long, and it was actually happening now. He was gonna lose his virginity, and he was gonna lose it to her. His only change in this, would have been that she was gonna lose it too. He'd always thought they'd do this together, but… When she'd already been with Zeke, he might as well show her just how it should be done instead. Show her how perfect they could be. How well they fit together. To prove to her that they were supposed to be together. If he did that, then maybe she'd realize his feelings, and maybe she'd tell him she felt the same. _

_She whimpered beneath him, when he hit a soft spot on her thigh. He could see her throbbing centre through the lace of her thong. She was already topless, since he'd shed her dress off of her. He, himself, was mostly dressed, though. Only the silver shirt was off; he was still in his jeans. He loved every part of her. She was so incredibly beautiful, it wasn't to explain. _

_He moved up again, and attached his mouth to her breast. She moaned, and reached out for his pants. He knew she was very out of it, but he hoped she'd remember this the next day. She had thrown most of it up anyway, so she wasn't really drunk now. He just wanted her to remember, because how else should he explain this? Well… she didn't seem to mind much now, anyway, and she _was_ the one who kissed him first. _

_She got his jeans off of him, and pulled his lips to her, in another kiss. He moved his left hand down her body again, and toyed with the material of her thong for a second, before shyly letting his fingers in there. This was a whole new thing for him, and he didn't want to do it wrong. When he came in contact with her, she let out a cry. She had to be very ready for this. She had to like what he was doing. _

_He couldn't help but smile into the kiss. Yeah, this was gonna be amazing. _

Troy woke up with a jag. He sat up in bed, and breathed out. That had seemed so real. That had been like reliving last night all over again. It had been like… He'd almost believed she was right there.

He groaned, and hit his pillow, when he realized she wasn't. It was so typical. He finally got the girl of his dreams, and she didn't want him. She decided to have a fit with him instead. He knew he could have decided not to tell her the truth. To say that he'd been just as drunk, and then they would have worked it out together. But nooo, he had to do the right thing and tell her the truth. Well of course. They'd always been honest with each other (except a few selected secrets he really didn't want to tell her, and he suspected she had some of them too). And really. She'd kissed him. She'd told him that she had been in love with him.

How stupid can a guy be? How could he have had his eyes on Gabriella, so he didn't even notice? Some best friend. He hated himself for it. He should have seen it, he should have noticed. He should have had her while he had the chance.

He let out a deep sigh, and decided to get out of bed. There was no use staying in. It was Sunday, the last day of the weekend, and he was gonna enjoy it. He looked around his room, suddenly realizing that his mom wouldn't let him enjoy anything. His room was messy. _Very_ messy. She'd probably make him clean all day long. Of course. It was her job to be annoying, and not let him go out.

Sharpay's clothes was still scattered around the floor. He hadn't had the heart to pick them up yesterday. She'd left in only her underwear and his t-shirt. The clothes she wore to his house, before she changed was lying in a heap, and her dress from yesterday was there as well, along with her stilettos and such. He was gonna have to give it back to her…

His face lit up when he realized what that meant. He was gonna have to go see her, right? Really, who was able to return some clothes to the right owner, if they didn't see them, and make sure it really was them? He couldn't just drop it off in the front of her house, that would be rude.

He grinned to himself.

_Troy Bolton; one, and Sharpay Evans; zero. _

--

"Wow," Sharpay said, as she sat down on her stool, "I can't believe I actually hated going to Church when I was younger. It was really wonderful to be there again. It relieves you of some sort."

"It's better now because you understand it, dear." Mrs. Montez smiled, as she and Gabriella took a seat as well. She was looking around this place in awe. Sure, they weren't poor, but they never went to such places.

"Well, I'm still glad you brought me." Sharpay smiled, and got her wallet from her purse. She might as well be ready for when she had to order, and stuff. She felt a pinch on her shoulder, and turned around, coming face to face with Tatiana, "Hey T." she smiled, as her eyes lit up a bit.

"Hi… Sharpay." Tatiana said. She seemed really surprised to see her there. She hadn't really expected Sharpay to just show up… But then again, why shouldn't she? It was a free country, all right. But then again… she was there with Gabriella Montez and a woman who could only be _her_ mother. And again… _it was a free country_, "Uhm… What would you like?"

"Ahm…" she quickly grabbed the menu, and scanned it, before looking at Tatiana again, "I actually didn't think you worked here anymore, T."

"Oh well," Tatiana said, "It's my last week, which means this is my last day. And what do you mean by that comment? That you wouldn't actually have come here, if you had known that I was still working here?"

"No," Sharpay quickly said, shaking her head, "That's not what I meant, T, I was just confused, and…"

"Yeah, yeah." Tatiana said, knowing she was on the verge of being rude. She really didn't care though, "You know Sharpay," she continued, leaning herself against Gabriella's chair, ignoring the looks she was getting from both the Montez women, "Whatever is going on between you and Troy, shouldn't affect your relationship with me. Or Tessa for that matter. She looks so much up to you. You can't just ignore her, because my stupid brother did something wrong."

"I wasn't planning on doing that!" Sharpay exclaimed, giving her a hard stare, "And can we get three lattes, please?"

Tatiana gave her a hard stare, and turned around, flipping her none excitable hair on the way. She hurried away, but managed to shoot another dirty look over her shoulder, before going through the staff's door.

Gabriella arched an eyebrow towards Sharpay, "What was that about?" she asked, actually sounding very concerned, "Are you fighting with Troy again?"

Sharpay closed her eyes, and turned her face away from her friend, "I don't wanna talk about it." she said, very determined.

"Is that why you wanted to go with us today?" Gabriella continued, ignoring Sharpay's request about not talking about it, "Is that why you wanted to go with us to Church? What happened, Shar?"

"I really don't wanna think about it, Gabriella." Sharpay continued, as she turned back around, to look the Latino girl in the eye, "I _mean_ it."

Gabriella locked eyes with her for a second, before she eyed her mother, who shrugged, and then she said; "Alright. Just know Sharpay, we can talk about anything… I'm your friend, alright? I'm here for you."

"Thanks." Sharpay said, and quickly gave her a hug, "I know you are. And if I ever get ready to talk about it, I'll come to you… After I've told Ryan."

Gabriella and Mrs. Montez giggled at the typical Sharpay-comment, and soon Sharpay joined them. They laughed for a few seconds, before another silence came upon the table, and Sharpay searched her brain for something to say. She hated awkward silences. They were the worst ones. They were dreadful.

But she didn't have to come up with something clever to say, because just there, Tatiana arrived with lattes. She placed them on the table, and Sharpay immediately went for her wallet, to pay for them.

"Don't bother," Tatiana replied, shooting her a sad look, her grey eyes shining, "You never pay, do you? Why change that."

Before Sharpay managed to open her mouth, and actually say something to a girl she really loved as a sister, Tatiana was gone. Sharpay placed her wallet on the table with a huge sigh, and grabbed her cup instead. She took a sip immediately, totally forgetting how hot the liquor was. She spit it out, and started padding her tongue with the nearest paper she could find.

Mrs. Montez looked kinda worried, but Gabriella couldn't help but laugh, because it was typical Sharpay. She always did stuff like that, it was just her.

"Are you okay, Shar?" Gabriella giggled, "Do you need some water?"

"Nah," Sharpay replied, her tongue hanging out of her mouth, which made her speak very funnily, "I'm alright. It's just hot. Drink your latte, but _please_!" she added, before Gabriella managed to pick the cup up, "…not before it's colder."

Gabriella lovingly shook her head at Sharpay, and put a pinky in the cup, to make sure it wasn't too hot. It still was, so she just kept it there for awhile.

"Anyway," Mrs. Montez said, snapping them both out of their universes, "What are you two girls doing after?"

"I dunno." Sharpay replied, with a shrug (still speaking funny), "I'll probably just go home and be bored."

"You could join me?" Gabriella offered, "We could just hang out? It'd be fun, yeah?"

"Yeah…" Sharpay smiled, and finally dared to take her tongue inside her mouth, where it belonged, "Yeah. That sounds very, very good. I'd love that. At your place."

"Yes, Sharpay," Gabriella said, and mockingly stuck her tongue out at her, "At my place."

--

Troy had just gotten the weirdest text message from Tatiana (even when she was at work!). He didn't really understand it, and it was probably because she had written it very quickly, as not to get caught by the manager. But it was still almost unreadable.

It was something about Sharpay. And then Gabriella's name was mentioned, and something about Mrs. Montez too. It just didn't make sense. But he figured she must have seen them somewhere, probably at work, since that was where she was. But why Sharpay would be with Gabriella, he didn't understand. She's made a promise! She had told him, she'd stay away from her. She wouldn't break that promise, would she?

He didn't even get to text her back, because now Zeke was calling him, and he was utterly confused. What was it with everybody this weekend? Everything was abnormal. It was wrong, and he couldn't understand it. Why on Earth would Zeke be calling him. And why _now_?

"Zeke?" he questioned, when he opened the phone, and answered.

"Hey man." Zeke said, sounding very relieved, "What happened to you yesterday, dude? You said you and Shar were gonna come help me clean up. I had to call Chad and Taylor before my parents got back."

"Oh man, I'm so sorry." Troy replied. He'd completely forgotten all about that with everything that had been going on yesterday, "I'm so sorry. We were totally hung over, and I just forgot."

"Ah, it's okay, dude." Zeke replied, "It's alright. Another time, eh?"

"Yeah, definitely. I'll stay and help the next time." Troy said, very happy that Zeke wasn't angry with him. He had done a lot of stupid things, and not coming to help clean up, was just the tip of the iceberg, "But I gotta run. Catch ya' later?"

"Bye."

Troy hung up the phone, and threw it on the bed. He sat down too, and thought things over. He placed a hand on his chest, and savoured the feeling he just got. That wasn't a good one. He had felt guilty. Very guilty. And it wasn't because he didn't come and help, it was because of something else. Oh God, how was he ever gonna look Zeke in the eye again? They were on the same team, they were good friends! How stupid can one get?

He closed his eyes for a second, and decided not to think about it. It was better to let it go, and focus on getting on Sharpay's good side again. No matter how good of a friend Zeke was, it was more important with Sharpay. She was the most important person in his life, and he had to stay friends with her. His mom counted on him to make things right again. And he was gonna do it. He just had to figure out how. Maybe…

Maybe Gabriella could help him. Maybe she could. It seemed like she was over him. Sharpay had told him she was. Then why not ask her? She was a girl. And he didn't have to tell her everything. He could just say he was in a fight with Sharpay, and that he needed a good idea of how to make it up to her. Gabriella would help him. That was what was so great about her; she was such a sweetheart. She had her heart on the right place, and it was a heart of gold. She put others before her, and that was what made her so special.

He quickly got up from the bed, and changed his clothes. He was gonna have to go over there immediately. He could return Sharpay's clothes tonight. That also gave him a better chance of her being home. Or risk. That was how you decided to look at it.

Hehe.

_Troy Bolton; two, and Sharpay Evans; zero. _

--

"Aw, who's this!?" Sharpay squealed, when a small cat brushed through the almost closed door, its tail standing right up, into the air. It was a light brown colour, and the eyes were yellow – they stood out from the rest of the body. The cat was already purring, very loudly too.

"That's Elvis." Gabriella replied, picking the cat up from the floor, and placing it on her lap, where it immediately starting brushing its head against the palms of her hand.

"But it looks like a girl." Sharpay commented, as she reached a finger out, to touch the cat too. It was very soft.

"It is!" Gabriella whined, and hugged her cat closer. You could tell she loved it very much.

"Then why the name Elvis?" Sharpay asked, and moved backwards, so her back was against the wall, her head resting there as well, "Huh?"

"We thought it was a boy." Gabriella replied, as she scooted backwards too, sitting next to Sharpay, their shoulders brushing, "Alright? We thought it was a boy, so we named her Elvis. Now she's a girl, and we can't change her name… It'll just confuse her!"

Sharpay couldn't help but laugh, "It's a cat. I don't think it would have noticed if you changed it right away. How did you find out that it was a girl anyway?"

"When we went to get it sterilized." Gabriella replied, and couldn't help but giggle now too, "And then the doctor told us. Ma was like 'whaat?'." She finished, with a very good impression of her mother.

"She is very cute though." Sharpay mumbled, and stroke Elvis over the head plenty of time, while they just listened to her purr. She was very cute. Sharpay almost couldn't take it. She wanted to put her in her back pocket and steal her with her home. Or else she was gonna ask her dad if she could have a cat too. They'd had a dog once, but that one was dead now.

"Gabby!?" they suddenly heard Gabriella's mom yell, up the stairs, "Someone's here for you."

Gabriella looked confused, as she grabbed Elvis, and placed her on Sharpay's stomach, to lie there, while she stood up, to go downstairs, "Be right back." She smiled, and kissed Elvis on the head, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do." She continued, before she left the room.

Sharpay giggled for a bit, but eventually shut up, when she realized she was alone. It wasn't like Elvis could answer her, right?, "No, you can't," she replied, using her baby-voice, as she was still stroking the purring cat with her left hand, "You're just a cat, you don't understand me. But you're so sweet. Maybe I should steal you with me home, yeah?"

Elvis replied by purring a bit more. She spun around, moving her face against Sharpay's stomach, very inappropriately landing between her breasts. She giggled for a bit, but stopped when she realized that the cat wasn't moving. She had, apparently, decided to lie there, and take a little nap.

_Oh, whatever, _Sharpay replied, as she closed her eyes, and rested too.

………

"…no, Troy, I don't think it's a very good idea that you get inside." Gabriella replied, trying to close the door in his face, "I'm kinda busy right now."

"But your mom said you weren't doing anything." Troy replied, very confused. What was up with her? She was acting very weird… even more weird than usual, "I just need to talk to you about something."

"I don't wanna talk, Troy." Gabriella said, once again attempting to close the door, before he got in. But he kept putting his foot between the door and the doorframe, "Just… leave, alright? Move your foot!"

"No!" Troy said, and stood his ground, "Gabriella listen! Is it because of what happened between us? I thought we were over that. I really need your help…"

Gabriella couldn't help but notice how sad he sounded. He really looked broken, too. It was probably the whole thing with Sharpay. Maybe she could get him inside, and then talk in the kitchen, and then get him out again, before Sharpay noticed? She knew they weren't on very good terms right now, she could figure that from Sharpay's actions earlier. And Sharpay was there first, and she wanted to support her. She'd just have to do it quick with Troy. She kinda wanted to help him. It was something about Sharpay, and she knew how much Troy loved that girl. She'd be too guilty if she didn't help.

"Alright, come on in…" she said, and opened the door, all the way, "But you have to make it quick."

"Thank you Gab, you're a life-saver." Troy said, and kicked off his shoes in the hallway. He was already making his way up the stairs, but she grabbed his arm, and pulled him down, "We'll talk in the kitchen."

Troy was confused, but he didn't say anything. Not when she was helping him. He just followed her into the kitchen, where Mrs. Montez was baking her special brownies. It was smelling very nice. He loved her brownies; they were the best he had ever tasted.

"Hi Troy!" she said, sounding really surprised to see him. He noticed the look she gave Gabriella over his shoulder, but he didn't comment on it. Of course she'd be confused by his presence. They had just broken up.

"Hi Mrs. Montez." He replied, and shot her one of his (if he said so himself) charming smiles.

"We just have to have a quick talk, Ma." Gabriella told her, and grabbed two brownies, which were cooling down, "Troy will be out of here in a second. We'll go to the living room, alright?"

"Sure…" Mrs. Montez replied, nodding along, "…but what about Sharpay? Is she still upstairs? Maybe she'd like some brownies?"

Before Gabriella managed to stop her mom, she had said everything. And Gabriella herself, she just stood there, with wide eyes. She would be cursing her mom, if it wasn't greatly against what she believed in.

Troy turned to her; blue eyes wild, "Sharpay's upstairs?" he questioned.

"No." Gabriella quickly said, sounding very unnatural, even to herself – she never was a good liar, "What would make you think… _that_?" she almost laughed, as she tried to keep him from going up there.

"But your mom just said that-" Troy stopped and looked at them both for a second, before he turned around and hurried towards the first floor. If Sharpay was there, he was gonna speak to her. He couldn't let that opportunity pass. He was gonna march right up there and tell her how he felt, and what he thought of her. She had to know.

"Troy, NO!" he heard Gabriella yell, as she ran after him, but he just rushed further, and soon barged the door to her room open. He stopped though, when he realized what was happening. He couldn't believe the sight. Sharpay was lying on Gabriella's bed, Elvis' head resting between her breasts.

_How nice it would be to be the cat now, huh?_, Troy mused to himself, as he got a smile on his face. They were both sleeping, and they looked extremely comfortable.

Just then Gabriella barged right into his back, having just turned a corner, and haven't seen him stand there. He fell forward, and landed on the floor, while Gabriella just managed to keep on her feet. Sharpay however, shot up from her sleep, Elvis jumping off of her, and out of Gabriella's room. Sharpay looked confused for a second, as she watched Troy get up too. But then she jumped off of the bed, much like Elvis had just done, and dropped her jaw.

"What are you doing here!?" she yelled at him, eyes wild.

"I came to talk to Gabriella, but when I heard you were here, I just had to see you!" he said, and took a step closer to her, to reassure her.

"You can't touch me!" she yelled at him, and pushed him away. She rushed pass him, and stood behind Gabriella, who was looking at them, utterly confused. Sharpay couldn't blame her, though. It would be hard for other people to understand why they were like this, when they used to be all over each other.

"C'mon Sharpay," Troy continued, as he stopped in his tracks, and looked at her, "I'm trying to talk to you. I'm trying to do this right. I'm trying to… I'm trying to tell you how I feel."

"Yeah, Troy?" she said, shooting him her famous dead-glare, "Is that so? Really? And how do you feel? Proud of yourself? You don't feel ashamed and stupid _at all_?"

"No!" he said, starting to really loathe her now. Why must she be that way? Why couldn't she just listen to him, and let him speak!?, "I'm trying to tell you what I've been trying to tell you forever. I fucking love you, Sharpay!"

She couldn't help but laugh at that one, "Yeah right." she said, and nodded, as she went for the door, "If you really loved me, you wouldn't have done what you did."

"Yeah, well," he said, which made her stop her path, before she left, "I do love you, Sharpay. And it's time to face that. And if you're really my best friend, as you claim you are, you would have noticed a long time ago."

She turned to look at him, hurt across her face, before she left the room, without another word. Gabriella's hand feel helplessly by her side, as she shot him a confused look. Troy couldn't help but grin though.

_Troy Bolton; three, and Sharpay Evans; zero. _

--

Sharpay couldn't help but cry, as she lay in her bed later on. It wasn't very late, but she felt tired. She didn't know what to do about the things Troy had told her earlier. She didn't know how to digest it all. Of course it couldn't be true. But what if it was? What if he really did like her as more than a best friend? What if he felt now, the way she had felt only a year ago? What if he was in her shoes now?

She remembered how she had cursed him back then. How she'd hoped everyday, that he had noticed it. That he'd feel the change in her, and realize what was going on. She had always said that he would, because they were best friends, and best friends should notice stuff like that. But he never did, and it had gotten her so angry… But now. Now, if Troy's words were true, and he did feel that way about her, she'd been just as bad. How could she? How could she be such a horrible best friend?

She didn't really want to think more about the fact that he was actually… in love with her? Wasn't that what his words meant? But how could he be? Gabriella's words had been true, too then. What she had kept on telling her, what she had kept believing in. And Sharpay had kept telling her it wasn't true, how horrible was that? Why had she been like that?

And how horrible must Troy not be feeling? She was dating Zeke right in front of him, telling him all about their relationship, while still kissing him like it was no big deal. She had hated that when she had been in love with him, and how she'd put him through the same stuff. _She.was.a.witch._

She sat up in bed, when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in!" she said, and dried her cheeks off with the back of her hand. Her make up was probably messed up, but it could only be Ryan or Ashlee, and they'd seen her worse, so it was okay.

The door opened, but it was neither Ashlee nor Ryan… it was Troy!

She quickly stood up, as if ready to defend herself, "What are you doing here?" she asked him, once again, "Who let you in?" she continued, eyeing the plastic bag he had in his hands.

"Ryan did." Troy said, and took a step closer to her, "Don't worry, I'm not here to 'talk'," he used air quotes, to reassure her, "I'm here to drop your clothes off. I guess you need it." he threw the bag on a chair, and looked at her again, "It would be nice though," he said, "…if you wanted to… talk?"

She looked at her hands for a second, before looking at him, "I'm not really sure what to say right now, Troy." She told him, and tried with a small smile, "It's just… I had no idea. I'm sorry about everything. But I just… even if you did feel that way about me, it still didn't give you the right to take advantage of me, when I was drunk!"

"But you kissed me." he tried, his voice soft. He really just wanted to get this out of the way. When they had moved past this, they could talk more about his feelings, and such things, "You told me how you felt back when I met Gabriella. I didn't know that, Sharpay. You should have told me."

"And you should have told me!" she argued, crossing her arms, "Before it got this far!"

"I'm sorry, alright!" he said, "I dunno what more to do. It's up to you, Sharpay. I'm sorry, that's all I can say."

"It still doesn't justify what you did." Sharpay just said, looking at him. It really didn't. Sure, he might have been in love with her, she knew how that felt, but… it didn't give him the right to just sleep with her, when she was too hammered to notice what was happening. He was her best friend. She trusted him completely, and he'd just walked all over her.

"Fine then!" he said, his voice getting an odd edge to it. He didn't have nerves to play this game with her. It was either over, or it begun, and they could be happy, "I give up Sharpay! I said I was sorry, that's all I can do. I'm just gonna go now, okay? But don't come talk to me, when you regret this shit. I was always there for you. Always. But apparently I'm not good enough… You have no idea how much this hurts… And you just don't care."

And with those words, he left her alone. She couldn't believe he'd just said that! How could he? He just turned it around on her! Like she was the one to blame… But she wasn't! It was all his fault.

Fuming, she crossed her room, and rushed into the bathroom. Oh, he was gonna get it…

…

…Troy closed the door to the Evans house, very angry. He couldn't believe her. What had he done to deserve this? He'd always been there for her, and yet she treated him like this. Sure, he knew he should have handled it differently, but still… She could have handled it more mature too. She was acting like a baby.

And now he'd just broken it off with her. Sixteen years of friendship right down the drain. He already missed her, and it was one minute since he made the decision. How was he gonna survive without her? It sounded corny, but it was so true, she really was the most important person in his life. The person he loved the most.

"Hey Troy!?"

He looked up, when he heard her voice. She was looking out of her opened window, hair cascading down her shoulders. He couldn't help but get a tingle of hope in his chest by this. Maybe she was regretting it. Maybe she had opened the window to tell him that she loved him too, and that she'd break up with Zeke, and he could be her new boyfriend. It was the only reason he could really think of, for her to open the window. He just kept looking up at her, a huge smile on his lips.

"What?" he questioned, hope all over his voice.

"I hate you!" she said, before a large bowl of water was thrown out the window, and it all hit him, soaking his shirt and jeans immediately. He was still looking up at her, trying to blink the water out of his eyes, when the window was smacked close, behind her laughter.

He looked down at herself, at his soaking wet clothes, and groaned.

_Troy Bolton; three, and Sharpay Evans; a gazillion.

* * *

_

_HAPPY NEW YEARS xD _

_Phew. That was kinda tough. This chapter really wore it out of me. I hope it was alright, though. It's very long, longer than usual, so I really hope you enjoyed it. It was sorta just their day, and then the huge… uhm, 'fight' in the end. _

_I dunno how it is, going to Church in America, so I didn't want to go into too much detail about it, so yeah. I hope it was alright. I didn't mean to offend anyone with it. I hope the flashback was alright too. I'll probably be putting more of them into the story, to keep it up for now. And Elvis looks just like my cat. She's gorgeous, and I love her sooo much. She's lying right next to be, on my desk, sleeping. She's so sweet, I didn't want to take her down. _

_**Dedication; **The wonderful 'twins', Bethany and Yeshi. You're both having a birthday today! You're so wonderful, and I love you both with all my heart. You always have time for a chat, and that's wonderful, 'cuz I'd always love to talk to you two. Keep safe, and remember to have a good birthday! _

_**Disclaimer; **I don't own High School Musical – I'm just playing with the characters for a bit. _


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**Chapter Twenty Two**

**Super Spies**

Sharpay hated the fact that she was gonna go to school today. She didn't want to. She didn't want to face either Troy or Zeke. She didn't want to look Troy in the eye, not after what had happened between them. So much was going on, and she actually feared that nothing would ever be the same again. And Zeke… She wouldn't able to look him in the eye. She'd feel too guilty about everything. She had actually cheated on him… the guy who loved her. They guy she loved. How would she ever feel good about herself, again? Feel good enough to actually have a normal relationship with him?

She didn't know. She just hoped everything would work out. The smarter part of her brain wanted her to tell Zeke everything, because then she'd feel better, but the slightly dumber part of her brain wanted her to keep it to herself. To not tell anyone about it. It'd ruin everything. And she was afraid that… That Mr. Slightly Dumber was winning.

"What are you doing, Shar?" Ryan questioned, as he turned to look at her. She hadn't even stopped the car yet, and they were at the parking lot at school. Something very huge must have happened, but she refused to tell him about it. But it was no reason to let the motor keep running. They had to get to class.

Sharpay snapped out of it, and quickly turned her key, taking it out of the ignition, "Sorry, Ry." She said with a huge smile, "Sorry. I was lost… We better get in there right?" she got out of the car, quickly grabbing her purse in the progress.

Ryan stared at the closed car door for a second, before following his sister out. He had no idea what was up with her. He really wanted to know. Not just because he wanted to know her 'secret', but because he was kinda worried about her. She was all weird Saturday morning, and then Sunday she… went to Church(!?) with Gabriella. That was just plain weird. Sharpay never used to go to Church voluntarily. So, he could clearly see that something was up. And he was gonna find out what exactly it was. Maybe Gabriella knew… Or Troy probably did. Those two did tell each other everything.

When Sharpay stopped in the middle of the parking lot, and turned around to glare at him, waving at him to get off of his butt, he quickly moved; catching up with her. They walked shoulder by shoulder to the huge double doors, and everyone parted for them like usually when they entered the school. Ryan didn't know why; though Sharpay did look pretty intimidating.

They parted ways when he had to go to his locker, and she continued down the main hallway to hers. She realized Ryan might have noticed her odd behaviour. She knew herself she was acting weird, but she couldn't just… she couldn't just act _normally_. She knew it was just Troy, and she knew him _well_, for all her life, but still. He did take advantage of her! He slept with her, when he clearly knew she was out of it; too wasted to know what was going on.

But it was also very weird. She had no memories of what went on that night. If she had, she might have felt differently about it. But she couldn't remember anything. It was really annoying her. It was like this… nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she hated it. She wanted it to go away. She somehow knew it was also mixed with a great deal of guilt, because she hadn't given Troy the time of day yet. But she couldn't just speak to him. She wanted to remember first. She wanted to know what had happened that night.

She felt so used. So exposed… And… vulnerable. Troy had used her. And he remembered everything about it. He remembered what she looked like, what she had done. All those intimate things he should have never known; all those intimate things that were only for Zeke. Troy knew them; and she couldn't remember a single thing about him. It was scary for her to know that he knew that kind of things about her. And she knew she wouldn't be able to speak to him rationally about this incident, if she couldn't remember a single thing. She.needed.to.remember!

…but another part of her, told her she was crazy. That she was uptight and stupid. That she was a downright bitch. A part of her told her that she should actually be happy that this happened, and that she should jump on the chance. She remembered how she dreamt of this. She remembered how she used to lie awake at night, hoping that one day Troy would feel the way she did. That one day, they'd get the chance to make love, and it'd be her first time. For a long time, she had dreamt that Troy should be the guy to take that step with her. And now… Maybe he hadn't quite done that, but it was a dream come true, and she was acting this way?

She didn't know what to do about herself. She wanted to be better, to be nicer, and more mature, and talk things through with Troy. But the other part of her wanted her to keep acting the way she was acting. He did use her, and he shouldn't be allowed to get away with that! He should suffer… And only, only if he suffered, maybe he'd see things the way she did, and actually make it up to her?

_But Sharpay, _she told herself, as she opened up her locker, to get her books, _he's already said sorry so many times. He looked so sad. What more do you want him to do to make it up to you? It's not like he can turn back time. And you were there… He wasn't alone that night. _

She closed her locker, when her books were safely in her arms, and banged her head into it. She was there. But still… No. It was wrong to just forgive him, right? But it wasn't like he raped her either. She was there, and from what she understood, it had been some great sex. Too bad she actually couldn't remember it. How many girls exactly could say they'd slept with Troy Matthew Bolton?

She allowed herself to smile, when she turned around and leaned herself against the locker. She was the only one. It had been his first time, and he'd done it with her. That did make her feel oddly proud in some weird way. Maybe she should try and talk to him…

She was cut out of her train of thought, when she saw Zeke come towards her, bouncing his ball, even if it wasn't allowed inside. That immediately reminded her of the hurtful truth. She had cheated on her boyfriend. They'd been going out for so long, and she'd just cheated on him. How could she do that? How could she live with herself?

_Oh right, _she thought, and softly walked towards him, with a fake smile, _you aaaaalmost can't. _

"Heey babe!" Zeke said, and excitingly wrapped his arms around her, "Why didn't you and Troy stop by to help me clean? You did promise…"

Sharpay looked confused. She'd never heard of that promise in her entire life, "We did?" she questioned, her eyes shooting with questions, as she tried to breathe calmly. She almost couldn't stand talking with him.

"Yeah," Zeke said, and shot her that cute smile of his. The smile she loved so much, and boy; did that make her feel guilty?, "Troy didn't tell you?" he continued, now looking confused.

"No…" Sharpay said, arching her eyebrow slightly, "No, no he didn't." she said, when she realized they must have agreed on that small fact when she was too drunk to realize it. And then of course, during the morning they had after, Troy wouldn't even have thought about telling her, "I'm sorry, Zeke." She added, with a cute smile.

Zeke sighed, "It's alright. I called up Chad and Taylor." He smiled, and leaned down to plant a small kiss on her lips. Her heart almost stopped beating, when she found his lips against her own, but she managed to kiss back lightly, before pulling away. Were things gonna be this awkward forever? Was she not gonna be able to have a normal relationship with her boyfriend? Oh, joy… this was gonna turn out great.

"Do we go to homeroom now?" Sharpay asked Zeke, as she took a step away from him.

"Yeah," he replied, and searched for her hand for a second, before gently taking it in his own, "Yeah, let's get to homeroom. We have so much great party-memories to talk to the guys about!"

"Yeah…" Sharpay said, as her eyes bulged out slightly, when they walked down the hall. This day was gonna be a loooong one, she could feel it. It wasn't gonna go smooth. No way. Things were gonna be tough.

--

Nothing too out of the ordinary happened before lunch, except for the fact that Troy didn't try to speak to her. She figured he didn't care much, after she threw water at him last night, and it was fine by her. She really didn't want to speak with him right now.

She had biology class with Taylor and Chad, who were in another one of their arguments ("No Chad, how many times have I not told you?! …_don't_ call me woman!"), which was very normal. She had French with Gabriella, who seemed to ask her more questions than normal; but then again, nothing too out of the ordinary. She tried her best to follow the teachers, but she was pretty much caught up in everything around her; she couldn't really focus, so it was a very tired Sharpay Karen Evans, who sat down between Kelsi and Tobias for lunch.

"You look horrible." Kelsi commented, arching her eyebrows together, slightly squeezing them.

"Gee, thank you Kelsi, I like your hat." Sharpay sarcastically replied, immediately taking a huge bite of her sandwich. She could feel a headache coming on, and she blamed it all on Troy.

"No need to bite my head off," Kelsi said, quite offended, "Whoever messed with you?"

"No one." Sharpay grumbled, before shooting daggers at Troy, who was just entering the cafeteria, Taylor and Chad by his side. They made their way to the table, and took each a seat, getting their lunches out as well.

Gabriella, who was sitting somewhat in the middle of them, eyed them both for a few seconds, thinking things over. She had analyzed and analyzed, thought and thought, but she couldn't figure their argument out. What had it all been about? Sure, they had fought before. Many times, but never… never as this one. Sharpay literally looked at Troy as if she loathed him. And Troy – the Troy she knew – would have never spoken to Sharpay like he did the day before. Something had happened, and she wanted to know why. She might be interfering in other peoples' lives, but she didn't care. She was born curious, and she wanted them to be okay. She was really starting to care for Sharpay, and Troy… Troy was just being Troy, and she actually thought they might become friends.

She stared up, when she felt someone kick her leg, and found Ryan looking at her. She was about to open her mouth, and tell him to cut it out, when he shot her a hard 'don't say anything'-look. She replied back with a confused stare, and arched an eyebrow; just slightly.

Then he mouthed something to her.

_Do you know what's up? _

She smiled at him, and hid a giggle, before mouthing back.

_No. But I'm going to find out. _

Then Ryan nodded, and held his hand in the shape of a phone, between his mouth and ear. Gabriella nodded, understanding his point. He was going to call her. Or whatever. They were going to talk, that was clear.

"What are you doing Ryan?" Sharpay snapped, just as his hand fell from his head, "I know it's not official or anything, but I don't think Tobias would want you to flirt with Gabriella!"

"We weren't flirting!" Gabriella immediately defended them, her head shooting towards Sharpay, who was just eyeing her.

"For real?" Martha asked, leaning herself against her elbows at the table, "I was wondering what was up with the phone sign and everything as well."

"Nothing…" Ryan replied, as if she should have known that. Which she really shouldn't know. He just wanted them to leave him and Gabriella alone, so they could do their signs and mouth stuff to each other. It was sorta important, and they didn't need other people's meddling to interfere with that.

"Suuure…" Tobias kidded, and nudged him in the side, a lopsided grin on his face. He knew nothing serious was about their mouthing. Ryan didn't like girls. He was as gay as it got, Tobias had proof of that himself. So his boyfriend and Gabriella were probably just scheming something up.

Troy eyed them for a second, beneath his long brown hair, wondering what was up with them as well. Ryan and Gabriella? That could only have something to do with Sharpay. And when Sharpay was mentioned, he was usually in the picture as well. But how…? Maybe she had told them? Nah, she wouldn't do that. She would be afraid for it to get out in the open. She wouldn't just tell everyone like that. Usually she told him everything, but he knew this (of course). But when he was so sure they didn't know, then what were they up to?

Just then Zeke came to the table, and sat down next to Sharpay, kissing her on the cheek. Troy noticed how she flinched, because he was watching her so intensely, but no one else seemed to see this.

"Hi…" Sharpay said, and leaned against Zeke lightly, "You hungry?"

"A bit," Zeke said, and snatched the rest of her sandwich, in one huge bite. The table was quiet for a few seconds, before everyone started chatting again. Zeke just kissed Sharpay's temple, and moved to hear ear, happy they could talk without being listened to, "What's up with you and Troy? You're not very touchy-feely like always. To be honest, it's freaking me out."

Sharpay turned her head to the side, and stared him deeply in the eye. She hoped he wouldn't be able to see how guilty she looked. She hoped he wouldn't be able to tell, "We got in a fight, so we're really not speaking right now." she said, and hoped he couldn't hear her shaky voice, as she told him about it. She wished he wouldn't ask what the fight was about.

"What was the fight about?"

_Oh great…_

"Uhm, nothing." She said, shaking her head softly, "Nothing important, Zeke. It's just something between me and Troy, and I think it's gonna take time and a lot of effort before we can work pass this. I need to _not_ spend some time with him for awhile now, that's for sure."

"But you will make up, right?" Zeke asked, still looking her in the eye. He didn't know why, but he got a bad vibe from her during this conversation. Also this morning, right when they said hi to each other, he felt all weird around her, and it couldn't be anything good, "You're my girlfriend, and Troy's one of my best friends… I can't have you fighting. And also… I kinda want you to be happy. And you're not happy right now, babe. You look so unhappy. And only Troy can make you real happy. That's what he does to you."

"Yeah…" Sharpay said, as she let the words sink in. That was kinda true. Troy really was the only person who made her truly happy. She had Zeke, she had Ryan, Tessa and Ashlee. She had Tatiana and Gabriella and all the other guys. But Troy… He was something different. He was like, the person who could make her smile for real. She remembered; all the times they were fighting, she felt so bad. She was sad, and she was moping around for days. And when they made up, nothing could get her down from the high she was at.

She frowned, when she thought further. If she fought with Troy, and didn't make up; didn't forgive him for what he did, she'd be like this for a very long time. Sure, a lot of this sadness was probably from the whole 'he took advantage of me'-kinda thing, but she could also feel that a lot of it was from just… fighting with Troy. It made her so upset. She really had to do something about it. But she still couldn't face him… _God_!, this was some dilemma she had gotten herself in to!

"Anyway!" Gabriella's voice suddenly cut through, as she pushed her chair back, letting it screech across the floor, which made everybody winch, "I gotta go to the bathroom before next class! She ya' there Sharpay," she stopped, as she grabbed her tray, "It's sci_eeeence_!" she sang, before she turned around on her heel, and hurried out of the cafeteria, dropping her tray off on the way.

Taylor shot Sharpay a weird look, but Sharpay just shrugged. She had no idea what that was about. It did look rather suspicious though, that two seconds later, Ryan and Tobias stood up on the same time, and grabbed their trays.

"We're gonna go too." Tobias announced, his high voice slightly cracking, "We have to uhm…"

"…stop by Tobias' locker to get his art books." Ryan finished, with a wink beneath his hat.

Tobias stopped, and shot him a weird look, "I don't have art next, Ry…" he told him, with a sigh.

Ryan groaned, because their 'plan' just got ruined, and grabbed Tobias by the hand, juggling his tray in the other, and then quickly pulling him with him, out of the cafeteria. The rest of the guys just stared after them, clearly confused.

"Oh," Taylor said, turning to look at them all, when the doors had smacked close, "They're up to something."

"You know it, babe." Chad replied, planting a wet kiss on her cheek, which Taylor quickly wiped off.

_Yeah, they are…, _Troy thought, glancing softly at Sharpay, who was staring at her lunch, _…but what?_

--

Gabriella tapped her pencil against the bulletin board, anxiously waiting for the two guys to get there. The bell rang soon, and they still had to discuss this. She wanted to know what was up, and it seemed like Ryan did too. Which made them plus Tobias the perfect team.

She lit up when she saw the couple coming closer. They approached her, oddly enough, still carrying their lunch trays.

"Uhm, guys?" she questioned, eyeing the two trays with tons of food still on them, "Didn't you forget to do something before leaving the cafeteria?"

They stared at each other for a second, and Gabriella sweetly enough pointed the trays out for them, which made their eyes go wide. Tobias quickly placed his at the floor next to them, and Ryan carelessly dropped his to the floor, taking Gabriella's arm, as he stepped over it.

"Walk with me…" he said, Tobias following in suit.

Gabriella stopped, because the clock was ticking, and class was getting closer and closer, "Listen, Ry, we gotta get this down. What is up with Sharpay?" she hurriedly continued. She didn't have time for his childish actions, she really didn't.

"That's what we want to find out." Tobias said, and leaned himself against the wall next to them, "We thought you might know something, since you hung out with Blondie yesterday."

"No, I don't know anything," Gabriella said, before snapping her head towards him, "And _Blondie_?"

Tobias giggled, "My new nickname for Sharpay, I thought it was cute."

Ryan shook his head, and placed an arm around his boyfriend, "I bet she's gonna love it, Tub, really, I do. But…" he locked eyes with Gabriella, wanting to get to the point of this meeting; Sharpay. "We gotta find a way to figure Sharpay out? How do we do that? You don't know anything, so maybe Troy does?"

"It's _about _Troy." Gabriella said, not believing the two guys hadn't figured that out yet. They were supposed to know her, right? They were supposed to know what was up with her. Ryan was her twin brother! "You guys are so stupid. Tsk, tsk."

Ryan rolled his eyes at her comment, "Alright. So it's about Troy. Then what do we do? Who do we ask?"

Tobias snapped his fingers, as he came up with a (if he did say so himself) brilliant plan, "What about Troy's sisters? Y'know, those two…" he paused, as he couldn't think of their names, "What are they called again? Or yeah! T and Tessa, right? …why don't we ask them?"

"You know," Gabriella said, and offered him a huge smile, "That's actually not a very bad idea. You could do that, and I could talk to Sharpay again. To get her to open up a bit. I really don't want to speak with Troy – that's only for 911 emergencies."

Ryan laughed, and gave her a quick hug, "I know why you're called the smartest girl in school. I love you, Gab."

"Yeah," Tobias smiled, and padded her awkwardly on the side of her upper arm, "Good luck talking to Blondie." He said, before he dragged Ryan with him, down the hall.

Gabriella watched their retiring backs for a few seconds, before she decided she better get to class. The tardy bell could ring any minute now. Sure, she was Mr. Lauren's favourite, but he didn't really tolerate tardiness. She hurried down the hall, and into the classroom, happy to learn that she made it just before their teacher. He shot her a glare, when he entered the room, and she offered him a small smile.

Sharpay, who was sitting next to her, nudged her in the side with her very pointy elbow, "Where were you? You were late."

"I'm sorry." Gabriella whispered back, as she frantically tried to find the right page in her book, to find the experiment they were supposed to do, "I was talking to Ry… someone. I was talking to _someone_." She corrected herself, hoping Sharpay wouldn't hear her slip. She wasn't supposed to know about their plan, and them meeting up during lunch was something out of the ordinary. She couldn't let that fact slip.

"Sure…" Sharpay said, and eyed her, with a weird smile, "Whatever you say, Gab. Want to partner up?"

"Yeah," Gabriella smiled. She found this an awesome opportunity to question Sharpay a bit more about her and Troy. She could do it while they worked. With everything going on in the classroom no one would hear them speak, "Let's grab our stuff and get started."

"Girls!" Mr. Lauren's voice cut through, making everyone stop to listen up, "Are you sure you two wanna partner up again? Remember what happened last time?" he held out his hand, and shot Gabriella a teasing smile.

"Very funny, Mr. Lauren." Sharpay said, and shot him back a teasing smile. He was one of the best teachers, because he could always tolerate jokes, "We know what we're doing." Sharpay finished, before getting some gloves out, to put on.

Gabriella chuckled lightly to herself, as she bent down to find a test-tube. God, how was she gonna ask Sharpay about this?

--

"So you're saying, you don't know what's up with Troy and Sharpay?" Ryan asked, a suspicious eyebrow raised, as he looked at Tatiana, who was more busy fidgeting with her basket ball, than looking at him, even though they were talking.

"Yeah, that's correct!" Tatiana said, as she got up from her bed, and turned to her shelf, where she grabbed the charger to her cell phone. She then spent a couple of seconds, placing it in the phone, and then turning it on. She turned back around, still not looking at either Tobias or Ryan himself, "Why do you ask?"

"Just 'cuz…" Ryan trailed off, and watched her, as she took a seat on her bed again, grabbing the ball one time more, "Just 'cuz they're acting weird… They're not looking at each other."

Tatiana didn't reply to that, she just acted like she hadn't heard him. Tobias watched the two friends and their interactions, curiously. He didn't know why, but he could feel that Tatiana wasn't telling the truth, even if he didn't know her that well. And he could judge by the look on Ryan's face, that Ryan felt the same way. Tatiana was lying to them. And they didn't know why. Why would she bother if the problem was nothing? It had to be _something_.

"And you don't look at me!" Ryan snapped, and hit Tatiana across the head with his palm. He couldn't stand this. If she knew what was going on, she had to tell them. It was his right to know. He was Sharpay's twin brother for God's sake!

Tatiana brushed a hand through her hair and spiked it up again, after Ryan had ruined her do with his slap. Then she looked at him, eyes angry, "Whatever, Ryan. If you so badly want to know, ask one of them. It's not our business."

"Aha!" Tobias said, and quickly pointed an accusative finger at her, "So you do know something!" he concluded.

Tatiana shook her head, and got up from the bed again, to turn on her laptop, "Yeah, I do know something." She said, with a shrug, "But I can't tell. I promised I wouldn't. Forget it guys, I'm not ratting them out. It's their story to tell, not mine."

Ryan crossed his arms across his chest, like a mad little boy, who didn't get what he wanted in the candy shop, "Fine, be that way." He said, and went for the door, Tobias right in suit, "I always rather liked you, but I guess I'm gonna have to hate you now."

"Welcome to the club!" Tatiana just laughed, not caring, as they smacked the door to her room behind themselves. They stopped in the hallway, and looked at each other. So far, so good. Well not _really_ good. They hadn't gotten any further. So what would they do now?

"Is she always that way?" Tobias asked, and looked at Ryan. The Evans siblings always told him all about how cool all the Boltons were. They always talked wonders about Tatiana, and he knew how close she and Ryan were… Well, it didn't look that way now!

"No," Ryan said, and looked out of the nearest window, in deep thought, "That's why this has to be huge. What are we gonna do next?" he wondered, biting his lips slightly, "What's our next move?"

"Don't Troy have a little sister?" Tobias suggested, a mischievous smile on his gorgeous face.

Ryan snapped his head back to look at his boyfriend, a very pleased smile coming to his lips. _That's right, _he thought to himself, _Troy does have a little sister…_

…

"…what do you know?" Ryan asked, smacking the door to Tessa's room behind himself and Tobias, "Tell us what you know!"

Tessa's eyes widened in shock, as she fell off her chair in surprise, "Know what?" she questioned, as she struggled to get up. She was still partly handicapped with her leg.

Tobias offered her a hand, and got her standing, "About Troy and Sharpay?" he said, smiling gently at the small girl, "About why they're arguing. What do you know?"

Tessa immediately swallowed hard, and let go of Tobias' helping hand, "Nothing." She said, quickly. Maybe a bit too quickly, but she couldn't hear that herself. She was desperately trying to figure out a plan in her head; a plan to get out of this. She couldn't tell them what was up, even if she did know. She just couldn't spill the beans. She didn't want to rat her brother and Sharpay pout. She didn't want to be _that _person.

"It doesn't sound like 'nothing' to me." Ryan replied, as he took a step closer to her. He had immediately recognized her quivering voice. She almost always stuttered when she was nervous or lying. That girl really couldn't lie – she was too honest to everyone.

"But it is nothing…" Tessa desperately tried to convince them. She knew she was failing miserably. She could hear it herself now, "Really Ry, nothing's wrong."

"Oh, is that so?" Ryan questioned, taking another stop in her direction, "Tessa… You better tell me now what you know. You have to. If you don't tell me voluntarily, I'm gonna have to force it out of you." he paused, and looked her deeply in the eye, making sure she knew he was being serious, "And believe me," he added, with a lick on his lip, "it's not pretty."

Tessa stared up at him, her blue Bolton eyes wide open. She was actually pretty scared of Ryan right now. She had never been before; he'd never acted this way around her before. It was scaring her, "I swear…" she whispered, "Honestly, Ry…"

He banged his fist into the wall right next to him. He was getting desperate. He wanted to help his sister, and the information Tessa was keeping to herself would be pretty important; he knew that. "Tessa, I'm gonna have to-!"

Tessa hid her face in her hands, and quickly rambled everything off, "Troy and Sharpay slept together after the party, and Sharpay is really hurt and mad at Troy, so she doesn't want to speak to him, because he took advantage of her."

Ryan and Tobias immediately turned their heads to each other in surprise. That was not good. It was bad. It was worse than they had expected. They didn't know what they had expected, but certainly not this. No wonder Troy and Sharpay were so edgy with each other, and Sharpay was…

This was so not good.

"Tessa!" Ryan said, and turned back to her, eyes wide, "Listen to me; if you tell anyone, and I mean _anyone_, about this… You're gonna be dead. I mean it."

"I mean it too!" Tobias supplied, his gaze just as hard as Ryan's.

"Got that?" Ryan wanted to know.

Tessa nodded, trying to hide the tears which were starting to fall. They were seriously making her scared, "I promise…" she said, nodding her head wildly, "I promise, I won't tell anyone. I'll keep it to myself."

"Great," Ryan said, his voice still firm. But just then it changed, and he stroked Tessa across the arm, "Don't be scared honey," he said, now happy, "I didn't mean to make you sad, I just had to know this."

And as Tessa nodded silently, Tobias and Ryan hurried out of her bedroom.

--

Sharpay was desperately trying to help Ashlee read, but she just couldn't concentrate. She was too worked up about the conversation she had with Gabriella today during science. She couldn't believe that girl. She had some nerve, trying to get to know what was up in Sharpay's life.

Sure, she just wanted (as Gabriella had so _sweetly_ pointed out) help Sharpay feel better. She just wanted to make sure her friend was okay. But Sharpay wasn't interested in anyone to know this stuff. She just wanted to keep it to herself for some time. Maybe, in a few weeks, she would have digested it better herself, and be ready to tell people. But right now; so not gonna happen.

"And… she was… fasci- fashio- fa… fasc…" Ashlee stopped and looked up at Sharpay, questions in her eyes, "What's that word, Shar? I can't read it."

Sharpay quickly bent her head, and looked at the sentence, which Ashlee's finger was placed next to "'And she was fascinated.'," Sharpay said, before locking eyes with her sister again, "right?"

Ashlee swallowed, and took a look at the word again, "…right." she said, though she didn't know it was right at all. It felt all wrong. Why couldn't she just be able to read like everyone else? Why couldn't she just be normal and not have this problem causing her troubles?

"Remember, Ash?" Sharpay said, and stroked her fringe back, "Remember Alphabeat's song? The one you like? 'Fascination'?"

"Oh, yeah…" Ashlee said, and got a smile on her face, when she suddenly got what the whole thing was about. She scanned her brain for the lyrics, and then started singing, "_Easy, Living, Killed the young dudes, In the high boots…"_

"_Teenage,_" Sharpay quickly sand, joining in, "_In the pace age, That's when love burns, Now it's your turn…_"

"_FASCINATION!_"

The two girls broke into a fit of giggles, doubling over in laughter. Sharpay loved when she spent time with her sister. She wished she had more spare time to do so, because Ashlee was such a wonderful girl. And she knew how much she looked up to her. As a big sister; you just have to know.

Sharpay made a decision. It wouldn't hurt if they watched a movie tonight. They could pick one that wasn't English, and put subtitles on instead. She closed Ashlee's book, and pushed it across the table, getting rid of it, "Up for a movie?" she asked her sister, a huge smiling coming to her lips.

Ashlee nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, just as Ryan and Tobias came through the kitchen door. They were both looking sort of sombre, but Sharpay didn't comment on it. She just turned around, and shot them a huge smile.

"Hey guys!" she said, holding out the cordless phone, "Who's up for a movie and Italian tonight? I've been craving it all day."

Ryan didn't look too happy, "Yeah, fine, whatever." He replied, and took a seat by the counter, taking his hat off in the progress. Tobias just sat down next to him, also (which was very weird, since Tobias was _always_ happy) looking kinda down.

"What's up?" Sharpay asked, and placed the phone on the table again, "Something wrong? You look sad."

"Nothing." Tobias mumbled.

Sharpay didn't know what to make of that, but she didn't want to say anything. She just watched them for a few seconds, and started looking through the Italian Restaurant's menu, to figure out what to order. All of them almost jumped out of their seats, when the phone rang.

Ashlee grabbed it with an, "I'll take it!", and hurried out of the kitchen, to talk in peace.

Ryan looked up at Sharpay again, and decided now was the time, since Ashlee wasn't there, "Sharpay?" he said, and placed a hand on the yellow menu, so she couldn't read any further, which caused her to look up, "Something you want to tell me?" he questioned.

Sharpay looked confused, but with a flick of worry flashing through her eyes, "No?" she wondered, "What would that be?"

"Are you sure?" Tobias added, looking at her too.

"Nothing at all?" Ryan continued.

"No." Sharpay confirmed, as she could feel her heart beating faster in her chest. They knew something. And she was afraid of what it was. What if they knew about her and Troy? She almost couldn't think of anything to make them act like this, if it wasn't that. Hello, what else could it be?

They eyed each other angrily for a second, before Ashlee rushed into the kitchen, almost slipping in her socks, the cordless still in her hand.

"Mom and dad are coming home tomorrow!" she yelled, and excitingly jumped up and down. And in all the excitement and happiness the other three got after that, the tension was forgotten for some time. Sharpay didn't really think more of Ryan's questions, when she spun Ashlee around in a circle, and Ryan happily caught Tobias' lips with his own.

Their parents were coming home. And this time, it'd be for a lot longer than the last.

* * *

_That wraps it up, folks. Thank you ever so much for reading. I hope you like it. I sorta… Hehe, I left a clue earlier in this story, to uhm… Ryan and Tobias acting like this. Remember how I mentioned Kim Possible: What's the Switch? and sorta made a big deal out if it? Well, lol. That's me leaving hints about them acting almost like spies. If you don't get it, don't worry. It's me being weird, too. _

_I know there's not much Troy in this chapter, but I will try and get him more in the story. Right now, it's mostly Sharpay though. _

_And thank you ever so much for the wonderful reviews; they mean the world to me, so please keep them coming. And also today is sorta my anniversary about HSM fics. A year ago today I posted the first chapter of 'When Will They See?' which was my first HSM story. It's kinda weird to think it's been a year already. Hah xD Alright, I know you probably don't care, but I like to share. _

_I'm really sorry for any spelling and grammar mistakes, I will correct them sometime, and if you find any, please tell me. I was in a hurry to get this chapter posted, so I didn't have time to proof read – I'll get started on the next chapter very soon though, so I can give you guys an update. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical or 'Fascination'._


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**Chapter Twenty Three**

**A Dear Diary Moment**

_Dear diary. _

_I know I haven't written you in like… forever, but I swear, I have been so busy. And life went well for so long, I didn't even know what to tell you. I mean, Zeke and I were going strong, like, really strong, and we even started having sex! It was so amazing, and I was so happy, so I didn't find it necessary to write you. But now… Gosh, I really need to vent my feelings._

_Remember how I used to tell you about Troy? The friendship we had, but also the feelings I had for him, that I couldn't tell him about? I used to be so worried that it would ruin our friendship, but now, I guess you could say that our friendship really is ruined. And it's really bad. Really, really bad. I'm so scared with everything that's going on. It's confusing me more than anything has ever done. And I don't know what to do about it. _

_I guess I should start by telling you what really happened. You know, Zeke and I were going really strong, and so were Troy and Gabriella. I mean, I never did like Gabriella very much, I have told you about that before, but I put up with her, because I thought Troy was happy. And I didn't really have a good reason for hating her, you know? I just hated her because she took Troy away from me right when I liked him so much. But anyway, Troy broke up with her. I know right? I was like, really shocked too. I had no idea he even thought about that. And apparently Gabriella was really crushed, but who can blame her? Troy's gorgeous, and he's so sweet. And to top it all, she came to me, and told me that Troy broke up with her because he liked me! I didn't believe her, of course, because that was a silly thought, but yeah… Later I just, I found out it was true. _

_In the beginning I was just a bit hesitant towards him, but then I got over it. I was just happy with Zeke, and I hung out with Troy like always. But then… Zeke had a party. It was last Friday, and since then everything has just been going bad. I had planned on spending the night with Zeke, since it had been awhile, since we were together, but my plan was cancelled. Apparently Troy offered to take me home, and then we just… WE SLEPT TOGETHER! _

_I Goddamned slept with Troy. He's my best friend, and I have no idea what to do with myself now. I cheated on Zeke. I almost can't stand to look at him in school. The past days have been hell. Luckily, it's Friday soon, so I can relax in the weekend. Right after our night Troy tried talking to me, but he has given up now. I'm glad, because I need time to think this through. He actually told me that he is in love with me. That I am the reason he broke up with Gabriella. It makes things more awkward, since (after he broke up with her) I have been spending a lot of time with Gabriella, and we're actually becoming closer and closer each day. She totally supported me when I told her about our fight. I didn't tell her what happened exactly, because I can't risk word getting out, before I know what to do, but she was so supportive. _

_I'm really confused about Zeke. You know I love him, and I really do, but I'm still… I'm still not sure if I can live with this guilt I'm feeling. I think Zeke can sense that something is wrong, but he hasn't really commented on it. I think I need to figure out my feelings for him soon, so I can make a decision. I have a feeling I need to break it off with him, to get some time alone, but I still don't want to lose him. He's the best boyfriend I have ever had. And we used to be so happy. But the thing is, I just don't think I'm that happy anymore. _

_But it probably doesn't have anything to do with Zeke. It has nothing to do with him, actually, and everything to do with Troy. It's his fault I'm feeling this way! I'm so angry with him. I just… Urgh, I want to kill him. I just, I want to hurt him, because I'm so angry I could cry. But still, I just… I really love him. He has been my best friend forever, and I don't ever want to lose him. He is the person who can almost always make me happy. I remember when we used to fight over silly stuff, and then make up again a few days later. I remember the feeling I had when we weren't speaking with each other – I was so sad. Troy means everything to me, and even if it was wrong, what he did, I don't think I'm quite ready to lose him. I won't ever be, I know it. _

_And it was wrong. I keep telling myself that I shouldn't ever forgive him for it, even if I want to. Some girls (we have a few at our school) are easy-going. They can sleep with plenty of guys without even caring, but I'm not one of those. I really care for my reputation, and I won't be known as the girl who cheated on her boyfriend, and slept with her best friend. He knows how I feel about that stuff, because we've discussed it so many times, and still he went and did what he did. He slept with me, knowing I had a boyfriend, and knowing how I feel. How can I forgive him for sleeping with me when he knew I was totally wasted? How can I forgive him for using me that way? _

_I have no idea, and that's why I'm so confused, because even when I don't want to forgive him, and don't want to see him ever again, I still can't lose him, because I love him so much. _

_I feel like one of those girls, who just found out their boyfriend had a one night stand, and they have to choose between forgiving him, which means having him, or breaking up with him, which means losing him forever. How can I make a decision like that, even if my story is nothing like it? _

_I should probably shut up about Troy now (even if he is everything on my mind) and tell you a bit about some other stuff in my life. I mean, me babbling about Troy can't be that interesting. _

_Mother and father got home yesterday. They have been away for a very long time, only coming home for one night at a time. But they told us they're staying for as long as possibly (which is more than like, a week this time), and it made me really happy. Ashlee was smiling as well. She really misses our parents, since she's still so young. I know we won't be able to live the free life we normally do, with them here, but it's still gonna be amazing. _

_I won't tell them anything about Troy or Zeke, and Ryan probably won't tell them about him having a boyfriend (didn't surprise you? No, me neither. I had like, been expecting it). Ashlee will probably get a lot of help with reading and stuff, so it's all gonna be great. It's also good that I don't have to hang around at the Boltons as much, when mother and father are home. _

_Anyway. We went to pick them up at the airport, and it was so nice to actually see them again. Then we picked up Chinese on the way home, and ate it together in front of the TV watching 'RV' which is like, one of Ashlee's favourite movies, and it's actually pretty funny. We had a great night, and I hope we'll get more of those in the future. I just want to act like a real family, like the one the Boltons always has had. _

_I'm hanging out with Gabriella tomorrow after school. We'll probably be going to the mall. Maybe Taylor, Kelsi and Martha will join us as well. They sometimes do, and we have so much fun. Gabriella and I are really starting to get close. I've never had a best friend, who's a girl before, so it's pretty exciting for me. I've always had Ry and Troy. Then of course, Tatiana but does she really count as a girl? And Ashlee and Tessa, of course, but they're more like younger siblings. _

_Gabriella was really concerned about me last Monday. I was acting a bit off, I know that, but she was really worried. And suddenly she rushed out of the cafeteria, with Ryan and his boyfriend, Tobias in tow. It looked very suspicious, and in class after, where we had science, Gabriella kept asking me a ton of questions about me and what was wrong. It was really throwing me off, but I got out of it alright. I just happen to think that she, Ry and Tobias are up to something now. What I don't know, but sure, they are teaming up towards me. _

_Wow, I hear my mother calling me down for dinner now, and just look at everything I have written – it's been too long since the last, I have to start writing more often. I'll be back in a few days, I promise you that. Venting my feelings this way, is actually a very good idea, it keeps me more calm, I think. _

_Love,_

_Sharpay. _

--

"So far, we only know this;" Ryan begun, as he held a hand out, to count the things that him and Tobias definitely did know, "One," he said, as a finger shot into the air, "Troy and Sharpay slept together. And two," another finger came up, "Sharpay won't speak to Troy, which leads me to number three," third finger, "the Bolton girls knew, even when I didn't. That can only be because Sharpay won't tell anyone. Aaaand, finally four;" the last finger got up, "Zeke doesn't know a thing."

Tobias nodded, his brow furrowed deep in thought. It was very confusing. He had a lot of other stuff on his mind that he wanted to do, and talk with Ryan about, but he knew how important Sharpay was to Ryan, and they needed to help her first. It was just… a bit irritating, but he'd survive. "Yeah," he said, voice deep for a change, "that's it."

Ryan leaned back in the couch of Tobias' room, and looked at his boyfriend, "So, what do we do now? What's the next move?"

Tobias bit his lip, and pulled his feet up beneath himself in the recliner, "I'm not too sure. We need to go quietly about this. No one can know." he paused, and locked eyes with Ryan, "Not even Gabriella can know. We can't tell her."

Ryan nodded slowly, letting the news sink in, "You're right. Of course she can't know. But how do we get to the bottom of this?"

"Well, what's there to get to the bottom of?" Tobias questioned, as he awkwardly fidgeted with his fingers in his lap, "They slept together. They can't take that back. I don't think there's much more to find out, Ry. I mean, Troy is obviously in love with her, everyone could see that, but Sharpay had Zeke, and now-"

Ryan cut him off, by bouncing forward, placing a hand on his boyfriend's mouth, "Rewind please! What did you just say?" he asked, taking his hand off of Tobias again.

Tobias arched an eyebrow, "'I don't think there's much more to find out, Ry'?" he suggested, voice uneasy. What was Ryan up to now? Sure, that boy was cute, and Tobias loved him with everything he had, but he did get some pretty weird ideas.

"No, no…" Ryan said, rapidly shaking his head, "No. That other thing you said. The next thing…"

Tobias smiled, when he realized what his boyfriend was going on about, "Oh! 'Troy is obviously in love with her'?" he couldn't help but laugh, "That was it? That was what you wanted to know?"

"Yes!" Ryan said, and happily clapped his hands together. It was all he had wanted to know.

"You didn't know?" Tobias snorted. How could Ryan not know? He knew Troy better than Tobias did himself, and _he_ had noticed. A lot of people had noticed. It was so obvious that Troy cared for Sharpay more than friendship. If Troy had known for a long time himself still wasn't sure, but maybe he had realized it now, or something.

Ryan shook his head, and bit his lip, "No. I didn't."

"That's … weird." Tobias said, as he drew in a breath, "But it's not like it's gonna help us, Ry. Sharpay's dating Zeke, and he doesn't know about her 'one night stand', and she obviously still wants to be with him. What can we do? We can't beat Troy up, 'cuz let me tell you Ry, he's much stronger than us. I know you have some great muscles, but really…" he paused, and arched an eyebrow, and moved his finger from side to side in a 'no-no'-way, "Not to mess with."

Ryan hit Tobias on the side of his head, "I know that, smart-ass!" he rolled his eyes, "And no, we're not gonna beat him up. But you're right; Sharpay doesn't want Zeke to know, so we can't tell him. Sharpay and Troy just have to be friends again, because our families are so close. We need them to make up."

"Well, maybe they don't want to be friends." Tobias shrugged, "Maybe they-"

"Tobias; please!" Ryan cut him off, and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, "Of course they won't stay mad at each other. Troy and Sharpay are like this," he hooked his two fingers together, to show him just how close they were, "they always have been. They're gonna miss each other in no time, and we'll need them to make up."

This time, Tobias hit _Ryan_ across the head, "Not what I meant, stupid!" he said, and rolled his eyes to top it, "Maybe they don't want to be friends, because they want to go out. Have you ever thought, that maybe Sharpay is in love with Troy too, even if she is with Zeke?"

"Sharpay's not in love with Troy!" Ryan said, laughing his head off. That was just ridiculous. Sharpay would never, ever date Troy Bolton. They had been running around in diapers together, how weird would that be? "She could never _seriously_ fall for a guy like him, Tub!"

Tobias wiggled his eyebrow suggestively, "You sure about that, boyfriend? Maybe she used to be desperately in love with him… You never kno-ow!" he sang.

"You're so weird, Tobias, you really are…" Ryan said, and continued on laughing, just to do something. It was weird really, how accurate Tobias was getting. Ryan know about Sharpay's old crush on Troy. But that was what it was. A_ crush_. Nothing more. And she was over it. She was serious about Zeke. She'd never be serious about Troy. A crush and falling in love were two very different things. But Tobias was almost right on, anyway. Sharpay did use to like Troy, but not totally like that. It was so long ago, anyway.

Tobias shot him a look. He could recognize Ryan's fake laughter, and he knew why that was. Either Sharpay used to like Troy, or she did now. He was willing to bet on the first one. And he could tell when Ryan was lying. He had been dating him long enough to know that, so Ryan shut up by the look he was giving him.

"Yeah, alright…" Ryan whispered, before placing a kiss on his lips, "You're right. Sharpay did use to like Troy. But that was only a crush. She's in love with Zeke. There's a huuuge difference."

Tobias couldn't help but laugh, "If you say so…" he said, before kissing Ryan again. Ryan kissed back, and the two guys ended on top of each other in Tobias' recliner; hands quickly searching for clothes to get rid of, and for places to touch. Ryan begged Tobias for entrance to his mouth, and the other boy quickly granted the wish, as he hooked his hands together around Ryan's neck.

Just then Tobias' mother opened the door, with a wide smile, and the two boys bounced apart, Tobias furioiusly wiping his lips off, and Ryan adjusting his button-up shirt.

"Ryan honey?" she asked, that huge smile on her lips. She adored Ryan. She had no problems with her son being gay since her own brother was as well, and she believed Tobias couldn't have found a better gay than Ryan Evans, "Do you want to stay for dinner, or do you have to go spend time with your parents?"

"I'd love to stay for dinner." Ryan replied, smiling gratefully at the nice woman. He loved being at this place, because everyone was so accepting. He feared his own parents wouldn't be, and that was why they hadn't told them about it yet, "But after dinner, I really need to head home."

Tobias' mother smiled, and said, "Great, dinner's ready in ten minutes. Wash your hands, and get on downstairs, okay?" before closing the door again; leaving the two guys alone, happy smiles across their faces.

--

Gabriella's finger lingered on the green button, not knowing if it wanted to press down on it, or not. On one hand she really wanted to call Sharpay up and talk to her, but on the other hand… Nah. She feared it. Sort of. She really wasn't into the whole Sharpay possibly yelling at her kinda thing. Not that Sharpay would yell at her _for sure_, but there was a slight possibility. Juuust a slight.

They _had _talked since that day in Science, and she didn't appear mad. However, Gabriella suspected that if she came right out and asked more questions about Troy, Sharpay would really freak on her. Their interactions since Monday had been about everything and nothing, as if not to tick Sharpay off, but Gabriella was born very curiously, so she really had to know more about this situation. She had to know.

She let out a deep breath, and dropped her phone to the table, leaning back in her chair. There had to be something she missed. Sharpay had to had let something slip, something she could _use_, in her 'investigation' about this fight, something near a clue to this whole thing. Something usable.

But no matter how many times she thought it over, she couldn't figure it out. Sharpay had said so many things; she had rambled on, but she had never mentioned Troy. At one point she actually started talking about a pepperoni pizza she found beneath Ryan's bed last week – turned out, it was very old, and _very_ nasty.

Gabriella had actually struggled not to laugh of the face Sharpay gave her right then and there, but she managed not to do it. She hadn't wanted to, because she was supposed to be angry with Sharpay. She had to if she wanted to get Sharpay to open up just a little bit. But no matter how much she had tried, she had gotten nothing out of Sharpay, except for the revelation that Sharpay dumped water on Troy through her window, and that is why he was now cold towards her as well.

Gabriella couldn't help but giggle just of the thought of it. She leaned forward in her chair again, and grabbed her cell phone. Stopping by Ryan's name, and not moving onto Sharpay's, she quickly hit the green button, and placed the phone to her ear; waiting for Ryan to pick up.

"Gab?" he questioned, his voice light and cheery.

She drew in a deep breath, "Hey Ry." She told him, and oddly enough she could feel her heart beating faster in her chest – she couldn't be nervous, could she? "I'm sorry to bother you, Ryan, but I really need to ask you something about uhm… Sharpay." She paused, and swallowed, "You remember our plan?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the phone as well, "…yeah?" he chocked out.

"Well, I wanted to know what you found out?" Gabriella said, as she got more comfortable in her chair again, fidgeting with a pencil, as she kept her cell between her shoulder and ear, "I mean; I found out nothing, I already told you that. But what about you guys? Did you get anything out of Tatiana?"

Again, there was a long silence, where Gabriella was waiting, nervously. She had a feeling he knew something, but was hesitant to tell her. And when he did open his mouth, and spoke, she knew he was lying; "Nah." He told her, "We found out nothing."

Gabriella swallowed hard, a pang of hurt shooting through her body. She couldn't accept stuff like this. She wanted to be a part of it, and she _hated _when people lied. Why wouldn't Ryan tell her? Why wouldn't he want her to be a part of it? She bit her lip, and softly said, "…okay." before hanging up the phone.

What was she gonna do now?

--

Troy threw his basketball towards the net, but it flew right to the wooden board the net was fastened to, and bounced away, hitting the concrete about ten times, before it started rolling, ending by Chad's feet.

Chad took it into his hands, and spun it around on his finger, as he crossed the yard, and stopped before Troy, questions floating through his eyes, "Troy, man." He said, voice low and emotional; something very un-Chad-like, "What's up with you, dude? I haven't seen you this upset… ever. You haven't hit the net the last fifty times you've tried… What happened?"

Chad was very concerned about Troy. Something had to be very wrong if Troy couldn't play basketball. Sure, when he had been upset back then, when Gabriella just arrived at East High he hadn't been able to either, but this was ten times worse. He didn't even act like Troy. He was this whole other person. It was freaking Chad out a lot.

Troy grabbed the basketball from Chad's hands, and stared his best friend in the eye, "I'm confused, alright. I'm confused, dude."

"Something about Sharpay?" Chad wanted to know, as they threw themselves onto the concrete, and rested their heads on their folded hands, staring at the blue sky, "She's the only one I can think of, who'd be able to freak you out like this. And I guess it makes sense since you haven't spoken with each other since last week. What happened between you?"

Troy turned his head to the side, and squinted his eyes together, since the sun hit him straight in the eye, "I really don't wanna talk about it, man. Thanks for the offer. Normally I talk 'bout this shit with Sharpay, but ah… It's about her, it has everything to do with her. And I'm confused about her."

"She is a confusing girl." Chad just replied, trying to sound smart. He really had no idea what Troy was going on about, so he couldn't really say something clever (not that he would have been able to do so, even if he had known what Troy was going on about). He just did his best.

"Yeah, I know!" Troy said, shielding his eyes with his hands, "I know she is, but she's also… She's also my best friend Chad. She's the person in the world who understands me the best. And I hate fighting with her. I can't concentrate on anything."

_I thought he didn't want to talk about it, _Chad mused to himself, but he didn't say it out loud. It was okay if his buddy needed to talk about it. He could listen to it if he had to, "Why don't you just make up with her then?" he suggested, turning his head to Troy's, "Just…talk to her. Make up."

"You think I would be lying here if that was possible!?" Troy exclaimed, and sat up, hammering the side of his closed fist into the concrete. It hurt a lot, but he didn't care at the moment, "Don't you think I've tried? She hates me."

Chad sat up, shaking his head from side to side, "Listen to me, buddy…" he said, staring Troy straight in the eye, "I may not know a lot of things about girls, least of all girls like Sharpay, but I know one thing about her, and I know it's true. It's not something I'm assuming or anything, I know it for a fact."

Troy stared at him through almost closed eyelids, "…and what's that?" he wanted to know, voice soft.

"Sharpay loves you, man. She could never hate you." Chad told him, and it was the truth. He had always been jealous of their close friendship. Not many had had a friendship like theirs through all their lives. And he had seen how they looked at each other. They loved each other. Their gazes were filled with affections, and there was just no way Sharpay could suddenly have stopped loving him like that. She might be angry, but she'd never hate him.

"You think so?" Troy asked, his voice even softer than before, if it was even possible. Chad didn't know much, so why should he believe him now? He should, because there was something about the way Chad said this. He sounded so sure.

Chad shot him a huge smile, "Dude. I know so." He promised.

--

_Dear Diary.  
__  
See? I promised I'd be back quickly, and here I am again, just a couple of days later. I really felt like writing to you already, so it wasn't even forced. I just really needed to tell you about these last couple of days. _

_And let me tell you. I have some stories to share. Having mother and father home has proven to be… Uhm, both good and bad. I mean, it's great to have them here, and to spend time with them, but it's also very frustrating. It's Friday today, and I'm really dreading the weekend with them. It's gonna be tough. Plus (believe my luck), we're having dinner with the Boltons tomorrow at our place, to celebrate mother and father coming home. We all HAVE to be there, which means I have to face Troy. You think I screamed in joy like I usually do? Well, I think not. _

_I'm really worked up about it, and I have no idea how I am gonna survive this. It's even worse than smelling the left over pizza I found beneath Ryan's bed. Gross. I think I'm gonna fake something. Something epileptic maybe? A migraine? A migraine has got to be the smartest idea. Or maybe I could fake the flu… Nah, I almost just had the flu. I don't know how I'm gonna get out of this, but I have to find a way. I'm not sitting through an entire dinner with Troy Bolton… Looks like I'm gonna have to, though. _

_Anyway. School was pretty uneventful. Gabriella tried getting me to talk even after I mad it __very__ clear to her last Monday that I didn't want her to know. She's just really concerned about me, I think, so I tired brushing her off nicely. Ryan has been acting weird for awhile though. Him and Tobias are sneaking around, but I don't know what they're up to. I'm gonna have to find out, once I get some of my own stuff off of my plate. I hope it'll be soon. _

_I'm still very concerned about me and Zeke. I don't know what to do with our relationship. I think I've made a decision, but I'm gonna have to think it through during the weekend. Hopefully I'll have made my decision by Monday so I can tell him. I'm dreading it already though, but there's no way I can live with this guilt. Either I have to break up with him, or else I'm just gonna have to clear the air, so he knows. If he wants to have a one night stand too to make things fair, he can… I think. It'll hurt me, but if he can forgive me, then… Nah. I'm not sure. Maybe I should just break up with him. But I really don't want to._

_Gosh, this decision is making me crazy! I'm gonna figure this out, and tell you when I've made a clearer decision about what to do. In fact, I'm gonna go write pros and cons down right now. It seems like a very stupid Ross-thing to do, but it's not like Rachel is around to get worked up over it, right? And if it clears my head, why not? _

_I'll definitely do my Spanish Essay. I have to get it done soon. It's due next week, and I promised myself I'd get it done this weekend, so I better get started, __¿no? Bueno (: _

_I hope this weekend goes well. I hope tomorrow will go smoothly, but I have a gut feeling in my stomach that it won't._

_Love,_

_Sharpay x3

* * *

_

_I'm very sorry about the crappy chapter. For real! I mean it, this is probably the worst writing ever. It is a bit of a filler chapter, I know that too, but it had to be done. There was a few hints, and the thing with Ryan and Tobias/Gabriella was needed in this chapter, because it didn't fit in any other places. I thought the diary was a good way to get more inside Sharpay's head, even if I had tried to do it before. I hope it worked. _

_Also, I have special permission from Sharpay for us to look into her diary. She told me it was okay, if it fitted the story. And it did, so I went and borrowed it. She says hi, by the way. _

_And oh – if anyone doesn't know who Ross and Rachel are, they're from the TV show 'Friends'. When Ross didn't know if he should date Rachel (his absolute soul mate) or his girlfriend Julie, he made a list about them. All Julie's things were positive, and all Rachel's negative. Rachel found the list and got very angry with Ross; she just had to have missed the last con on Julie's side, which said 'she's not Rachel', she read it as 'she's not Rachem'. They're so cute, really. I adore them. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, or the mention of Friends. _


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**Chapter Twenty Four**

**Dinner Disaster**

_She moaned as he trailed his kisses down her neck. They had started by her lips, where he had given her several small pecks, before his lips moved lower, trailing across her chin to her collarbone, and now down her neck. He was making his own mix between kisses and bites, and she couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of his naked chest against her naked body. It just felt amazing._

_He stopped his kisses and lifted his head slightly, his blue eyes meeting her shiny brown ones. His eyes were glimmering with hope, and he was grinning to her like a complete goofball. She couldn't help but smile back at him, and reached a hand out to stroke his shaggy, brown hair out of his eyes. _

_He grabbed her hand on its way back, and attached his lips to it; kissing it several times before he let it fall again. His body was hovering over hers, almost covering her like a protecting shield against all evil. His heat was radiating off of him, and to her body, while their activities caused the room's temperature to get that much higher. _

"_I love you." he whispered, moving his head closer to hers again. Their breaths were mixing in the small space between them, and she took in his scent, and how gorgeous he looked in the faint light coming from a street lamp outside. _

_She lifted her head briefly and kissed him deeply, "…I love you too." She revealed, her smile getting huger. She didn't know how many times they had said that to one another this night; she had lost count, but she really meant it. She loved him. She just hoped they'd both remember all this in the morning, and that none of them would have any regrets. She could just see it before her – how Troy would regret and never speak to her again. He was probably drunk right now, only doing this because he was a guy, and he had needs. But she couldn't say no to him. He was her everything. _

_He chuckled lowly, and placed his lips on top of hers again, forcing his tongue into her mouth almost immediately. She giggled into his mouth, but he continued on his job, as his hands moved to her breasts, and covered them, his fingers slipping across her skin in delight. _

_She threw her arms around his shoulders, and clung herself to him, never wanting to let go. She kissed him with everything she had, wanting to be in this moment forever, because she didn't want to forget this night. She wanted to be with him, and she wanted to make it clear to him. _

"_I love you." she said, breaking their kiss, "I love you. I want to be with you, Troy. I love you." _

"_I want to be with you too, Sharpay." Troy said, staring down at her, lovingly, "I've always wanted to be with you. I've always wanted to have you. I love you." _

Sharpay sat up in bed, her breathing hard and uneven. She was covered in sweat, and her head was spinning in circles. She almost felt dizzy. She quickly brushed her quilt off of her, and rushed to her bathroom, turning on the cold water tap. She cooled her face down, and turned the water off again, before staring at herself in the mirror.

What the _hell_ was that? Did she just have an erotic dream about Troy? A dream where they had clearly had sex earlier on, and were now lying naked together in Troy's bed, just telling each other how they loved each other, and how they wanted to be together? And sure, they were getting ready for another round!

It had been so real. Every feeling, and every thought Dream-Sharpay had had, Real-Sharpay had felt and thought too. It was almost scary how much it was accurate. It was almost as if it had happened in real life. It was almost as if it was a memory, or maybe something she wished to happen?

She rubbed her temples with two fingers, and closed her eyes in thought. What did this mean? Was she supposed to analyze this, or just let it go like Troy had done, back when he'd dreamt about her? He had brushed it off, like it was something that happened often (and maybe it did, who knew?), but she couldn't just do that. Because it didn't happen often. Sharpay had never had a dream like that about Troy. About anyone, really. It was a new experience, and it quite frightened her.

Also because she'd been so worked up about her and Troy having sex, that she couldn't believe Dream-Sharpay would actually enjoy it like she did. She almost felt guilty for dreaming that way about Troy, after freaking like that on him. She knew it wasn't nearly the same thing, but still… It kinda was.

She wondered though, which parts of Dream-Troy Real-Troy possessed. If Real-Troy was anything like Dream-Troy, Real-Sharpay actually wouldn't mind spending some time with him in his bed.

_Oh wait Sharpay!,_ Sharpay thought, as she opened her eyes again, and stared at her own reflection, _Did you just say that? Take it back! You can't say that! _

…_but you __did_

Sharpay groaned and turned around, slipping out of her t-shirt (it was one of Troy's; she didn't hate him enough to stop sleeping in it, it was too comfy), and then out of her underwear. She needed some clean ones, since it was all sweaty and gross.

She threw it in the hamper, a disgusted look on her face, before hurrying into her bedroom, to get something clean. She quickly grabbed another t-shirt – not bothering with the underwear – and made her way back to her bed. Luckily it was only her clothes that had gone damp, so she could lie back beneath her already warmed-up quilt, and close her eyes.

She opened them a second later though, and stared at her ceiling. A thought had crossed her mind. What if…? She paused. Nah, that couldn't be possible. Stuff like that didn't happen. It was only in horrible novels, and stupid films that stuff like that happened.

But what if it was true? What if the dream she had about Troy wasn't just a dream? What if it was, in fact, a memory from the night they shared?

Sharpay bit her lip, and turned over in her bed, deep in thought. If that had been a memory from their night together, she was sad she couldn't remember it all. Judging by the way Dream-Sharpay and Dream-Troy had interacted, they had just had the most awesome sex. It was all romantic, and the way they kissed sent chills up her spine. How he told her he loved her… That was _some_ memory.

She sighed dreamily, and buried her head into her cold pillow. If that was not a dream, but a real thing, she was kinda screwed. She knew she had been wasted, but like normal; her memory came back when some time had passed. And if it was coming back now, maybe she'd remember how it all started. But she was screwed, because in the dream she'd just had, she had told Troy she loved him. What if she had, in fact, told him that? Then it was her own fault that he thought she wanted him the way he wanted her.

He had assured her that he was in love with her; he'd made sure she knew that, but she had told him that she wasn't in love with him. She had been. Way back. But now she had Zeke, and she was convinced she didn't love Troy like that anymore. But what if she did, and had just buried her feelings for him? What if, when she was drunk, her true feelings came out, and she poured her heart to him? Then she would love him like he loved her, and this whole fight was unnecessary.

And then she had lied to him. She had yelled and hurt him for no reason. It was horrible, she could see that now, and she wished she could take some of it back. In fact, she wished she could turn back time to about a week ago, and stay with Zeke after the party, because this whole mess wouldn't have happened, if she had done that. Done what she was supposed to. She wouldn't have slept with Troy; she wouldn't have told him she loved him.

_But still, Sharpay, _she reminded herself, when a thought got stuck in her brain (she always tried to see reason), _Just because you tell him you love him, doesn't give him the right to take you into bed, when you're too drunk to notice what's going on. He isn't supposed to do that. He's your best friend. He's supposed to keep guys for doing exactly what he did. _

It wasn't right. He shouldn't have jumped into bed with her, even if she told him she loved him. That was still wrong. So even if she had messed up by yelling at him for doing something he kinda didn't do, and telling him she hadn't done what she'd done, he was still at fault too.

How was she going to get this mess cleared up?

Sharpay swallowed hard and looked across her room, to her desk, where she could see her pink diary sticking out from beneath a pile of school books. She smiled to herself, before flicking on her bedside lamp, and hurrying across the floor to grab a pen and the diary.

Maybe it was better to vent her feelings. Maybe it'd help her figure everything out.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay checked her appearance in her full-length mirror, her face critical. She wanted to look her best, even if it was just the Boltons (Troy was there, but that wasn't why she dressed up, _not_ in a million years would it be), and they had seen her naked in their backyard, or her own pool.

She was wearing a pink summer dress, with white leggings and white flip-flops. Her hair was done in two braids and her make-up was simple as well.

She had a huge knot it her stomach. She was _so_ nervous. She had no idea how she was going to get through this dinner. She was sort of excited to see Troy, even if she didn't want to admit it to herself. She was excited to maybe exchange a few words with him again, even if it was only to be polite, and to keep her parents from knowing something was wrong. But she was also frightened to see him again. She hadn't treated him welling. He hadn't treated her welling either, so it was pretty bad. She just hoped no one would notice how they acted towards each other.

Of course Jack and Lucy already knew what had went down between them, but she hoped they wouldn't tell her parents. She really didn't want them to know, because her mother would flip a cow. She had always told Sharpay to take things calmly, and wait until marriage with having sex. And not only had Sharpay slept with Troy, she had also slept with Zeke plenty of times, and if her mother found out, she would be so disappointed in her, which was even worse than if she just yelled.

"Sharpay, honey!" Viola's voice came from downstairs, "The Boltons will be here shortly. We need to be ready when they arrive."

Sharpay groaned, and looked herself over in the mirror one last time, before going out of her room, and down the stairs. She found it funny how her parents wanted everything to be perfect, even if they had known the Boltons forever, and they had seen them at their worst. When they were having dinner, everything was supposed to be fancy, instead of just ordering pizza and playing cards all night. So okay, they had done that before, because things were usually pretty comfortable. But maybe this was fancy because it was the first dinner with all of them for a very long time. It was too long since they'd all been together.

Her mother smiled at her, when she arrived downstairs, and her father kissed her on the side of the head, telling her she looked fabulous. Sharpay scanned the rest of them. Ashlee was wearing a jeans skirt, high boots, a button-up white shirt, and a vest over it. Her hair was down straight, and she was completing the outfit with a huge smile. Ryan was dressed up like his usual self. Dress pants and a shirt, don't forget to mention the hat, of course. Her parents were fancy as well, and Sharpay felt like it could be a bit over the top.

Well, it wasn't full dresses or anything, but it wasn't sloppy either. She knew the Boltons wouldn't mind if they came dressed in their sweatpants, and the thought was very appealing to Sharpay right now. Her Everlast pants were calling her name, and she wished she could jump right into them.

"Are the tables set?" she questioned instead, looking at her mother, with a huge smile. Might as well get some conversation going.

Viola smiled, "Yes, dear." She said, and led Sharpay through the hall, and into the dining room, "I've folded the napkins myself. Chef Gordon is cooking dinner, and Ms. Moore is ready to serve us. It's going to be a wonderful evening."

Sharpay nodded, and looked around the room. She could always feel when her parents were home. Sure, they didn't live like everyone thought they did, with cooks and maids and everything. They just had a team of helpers with them whenever they were having dinner guests. When their parents were out of town, the kids were on their own, and if it was the entire family together, her mother cooked.

"Seems like it." Sharpay replied, and left her mom to watch TV in the small room, joined to this room. No one ever used this, only when occasions like this arrived. This was the part of the house, no one rarely went to. For dinner parties the dining room was used (they had another one for their family, and an even huger one for large parties), and this was a TV room attached to it, so the kids could have fun, while still being near the rest of the party.

Just as she had turned on the TV she heard the familiar voice of Tessa through the halls, and turned the TV off again, to go greet her friends. The rest of the family was already there, so she kept in the back, waiting for her time to come.

"Hi!" Lucy cheered, and gave Viola a deep hug, "It's so nice to have you home for a bit, Vi. We've missed you guys, for sure."

"Oh, it's nice to be back." Viola reassured her friend, "We're staying for awhile, so we can always have more dinners. I'm sure no one will object to that."

Sharpay greeted everyone with a smile and a hug, and they all turned around to go to the dining room. She wasn't going with them, though, because by the end of the hall, leaning against a wall, was Troy. He looked rather sad, and she nervously took a step closer to him, rubbing her arms with her hands, because she had to do something, or she would lose her mind.

He locked eyes with her, and she could tell he wasn't happy. She could read him inside out, and he felt a lot like she did. Confused, angry. Sad. She offered him a small smile, to ease the tension.

"Hi." She said, her voice soft, barely above a whisper.

He nodded, and stood up straight, "Hey…"

She cleared her throat, unsure of how to approach this. She wanted to make everything good between them, but she wasn't sure if she would be able to do that. She wanted everything to be okay between the two of them – he was her best friend! – but it seemed like it would be tough. And she wasn't sure what the dream meant, which confused her a lot about her relationship with Troy. They should be able to work pass this, shouldn't they? They'd been through a lot, they could get through this too.

"I was wondering if maybe… We could talk?" she asked him, looking straight into the blue of his eyes. She had always loved those eyes.

He seemed a bit hesitant when he answered, "It would be… nice." He settled for, before adding, because he simply had to; "…but I'm not quite sure if it's a good idea. I really don't want to get more water in my face, you know."

She looked to the side, hating him for the fact that he had to bring this up now. Why couldn't he just forget about it already?, "I'm not gonna dumb water on you, Troy!" she said, raising her voice a bit – she hoped no one would hear her, though. But she still wanted him to know she was being very serious, "I honestly just want to work through this! …I – I miss you."

He didn't answer. He simply turned his head to the side too, not wanting to look at her.

"I mean, come on, Troy!" she continued, voice still getting higher, as her head snapped towards his, "It's only been a Goddamn week, and I freaking miss you! I can't stand not talking to you, there has got to be a way to work pass this!"

"There _is_ no way, Sharpay!" Troy finally turned back to look at her, voice angry as well. He wanted her to understand this. He wanted her to know how much she was hurting him, how much pain this was actually causing him, "I can't work through this with you, if you don't get that I freaking love you!" he paused, and watched the _old_ news sink in, "I love you, okay? And if you don't get that, then I can't be friends with you. It's - it's too much pain watching you fool around with Zeke, knowing that what we have could be perfect if you'd just give it a chance."

"Yeah, well thanks to you I remember nothing of our night!" she exclaimed, angry that he was throwing all the guilt onto her plate. She wasn't the only one at fault! She knew she remembered a bit because of her dream, but it was still nothing to the extension of what Troy was remembering.

Troy took a step closer to her, his face inches from hers, "Well, excuse me for thinking that you saying 'I love you, Troy' means you love me. Where did I go wrong there?"

"I was drunk!" she yelled, before she planted her hands on his chest, and pushed him back towards the wall, "You took advantage of me! How could you do that, I thought you were my friend!?"

Troy let out an angry sigh. This was the same over and over again. They'd had this conversation so many times already, what was the point of having it again?, "I'm through with it, Sharpay. We've discussed this so many times, and we're not agreeing on anything. We might as well just forget it, if we can't admit our own mistakes. I'm not gonna be able to discuss this with you, as long as you're all happy with Zeke. I can't even believe that you're actually still with him after what you did!"

Sharpay narrowed her eyes in on him. How _dare_ he bring Zeke into this?! Zeke had nothing to do with this! Okay, so maybe he was a huge part of her life, but still… He wouldn't change what went down between the two of them, "Don't bring him into this!" she exclaimed, actually a bit hurt by the fact that Troy would use that card against her, "He has nothing to do with the two of us."

"He doesn't?" Troy asked, disbelief streaming through is voice, "Sharpay; let me tell you something. He has everything to do with the two of us. With _this_! In fact, just him being your boyfriend has everything to do with how I'm feeling!"

"Alright?" she said, and slumped her shoulders down, as she stepped back, away from him, to lean against the railing of the staircase, "So how are you feeling, Troy? You mad because I'm dating Zeke? You wish to kill him? Are you hating the fact that I'm having amazing, hot, mind-blowing, diiiirty sex with him whenever we're at each other's houses? Are you hating the fact that he can kiss me whenever he wants to? That he can touch me, and make love to me, and…"

Troy wasn't responding to her tries, so she eventually shut up, knowing it would get her nowhere. She just didn't understand why he wasn't responding the way she wanted him to. Normally, he would have gone crazy if she'd pulled something like this at him, in other situations. Here, he'd just turned his head to the side, and was ignoring her. So she gave up.

She let out a huge sigh, and stepped forward, to get into the dining room, where the two of them were supposed to be, "Fine. I give up. I'm not even gonna continue trying to make you jealous. It's not working."

Troy snapped his head to the side, "_Trying_ to make me jealous?!" he exclaimed, eyes hurt, and she was actually surprised to see a few tears there. Whether they were angry tears or sad tears, she didn't know, but they were tears nonetheless, "Trying? Oh please, Sharpay!"

She placed her hands on her hips, "So you _are_ jealous?" she questioned him, eyes narrowing in on him.

"_Of course_ I'm jealous!" Troy said, not believing she could be so blind. He'd been jealous forever. When was she going to face the facts?, "I'm _insanely_ jealous. What part of the huge, written memo titled 'Troy does not want you to have sex with Zeke' is it that you don't understand?"

Sharpay watched him for a second, as the news sunk in. She couldn't believe it. He looked really hurt. He looked… heartbroken. Had she done that? Had she hurt her best friend like that? The boy she cared more about than anyone else in the entire world? Had she caused him that much pain? She was just trying to tease it out of him. She was trying to make him realize what he had done was wrong, and then make it up to her. She'd opened up… She understood now, kind of, where he was coming from, and just wanted everything to be good between them…

Troy shook his head at her, and turned around, to walk into the dining room. He gave her one last glance over his shoulder, before going out of sight, not noticing Ryan, who had hidden behind the door into the kitchen. _He _shook his head at Sharpay too, mumbling; "That was low, Shar… _really low_."

Sharpay placed a hand on her rapidly beating heart, hoping to calm it down. She couldn't believe it… She'd hurt him. And she'd hurt herself too. The pain now shooting through her heart was unbearable. She had hurt her best friend more than she had ever hurt anyone. Was their friendship over now?

She closed her eyes, and quickly brushed a tear away from her cheek, since it had escaped from her eye. She gulped loudly, and leaned back against the railing on the stairs again, not believing what was happening. She had just wanted to tease him a bit, to get him to understand, but she had hurt him. And it was all because of Zeke.

She could feel the tears streaming out of her eyes completely now, and turned around and rushed up the stairs.

She had made her decision.

**--ooo--**

"Ryan?" Richard asked, when they were half through dinner, and hadn't seen Sharpay yet. Normally they wouldn't even have started, but Ryan had told them that Sharpay had needed to quickly change, and then she would be there. She hadn't showed though, "Would you mind getting your twin sister down now? It's a bit impolite not to be here."

"She's changing, father." Ryan said and eyed his father, beneath his hat, "You know how she gets."

Richard nodded, but he still wasn't satisfied with the answer from his son. He found it odd that Sharpay wasn't there. Usually, she was the one who loved these dinners the most. He decided to let it slide for now though, and just enjoy the dinner.

Lucy eyed her son for a second. Troy was just digging his food. You know, she wasn't sure she was right, but Troy had been in the hall a lot longer than the rest of them, and Sharpay hadn't been with them either. She was curious to what had happened between them, but she could only assume that it wasn't good. Otherwise they would have been sitting at the table – both of them.

She really hated that things were bad between them. She knew she shouldn't meddle, because it really wasn't her business, but she wanted them to get together. So bad. She had always dreamt of having Sharpay as her daughter-in-law, and she had believed it was coming true, as she saw Troy fall for the blonde girl, but then this… They had to work this out. It wasn't just hurting them. It was hurting everyone around them.

She was sure Ryan knew something was up, but she wasn't too sure if he knew _what_ was up. Maybe it would be a good idea to discuss it with him? Her and Jack had decided already two days ago, that they wouldn't tell Viola and Richard about this mess. The two of them were rather weird regarding stuff like this. They would probably send Sharpay off to Church school or something, because they disapproved of her life. But Sharpay was responsible. She knew what she was doing.

Jack awkwardly cleared his throat, "How's it going with the reading, Ashlee?"

Ashlee's face lit up, and she showed Jack her white set of teeth, "It's going good. I'm getting better. Sharpay and Ryan are really sweet. They're both helping me. And Tobias is-AAUCH!" her hand flew to her shin, and she angrily glared at Ryan, who was the one who had just kicked her.

He shot her daggers back, happy that no one else had realized he was the cause of Ashlee's outburst, and pretended to zip his mouth and throw the key away. 'Don't talk about Tobias!' he then mouthed to his sister, to get his point across.

Ashlee was immediately embarrassed for almost blowing his secret, and she sunk into her chair, ignoring the strange looks her parents were giving her. He had specifically told her not to tell their parents about Tobias ever being at their house, and here she was; almost spilling the beans.

Tatiana awkwardly cleared her throat to get Ryan out of this, and turned to look at her brother. She knew it wasn't any of her business, but why not mess with his mind? She needed him and Sharpay to make up, and maybe poking to him would help a bit, "So Troy?" Tatiana questioned, blinking rapidly, "Why don't you go get Sharpay downstairs? You're her best friend, you would know how to get her happy again."

Troy shot her a death glare, and turned his head back to his plate and fork, regretting he even turned his head to her to begin with. What was the point? Everyone could see right through him, and everyone tried to get him to talk to Sharpay. But no way! He wasn't going to talk to her, and have more trash thrown in his face. He had even told her how he felt about her and Zeke, and she decided to play cruel and just tease him. He wasn't going to let her get away with that. He was going to go with the silent treatment again. Not that it had ever worked before, because he couldn't resist her. That didn't mean he wasn't going to try, though.

"Okay Ryan, that's it!" Richard said, and gave his son a firm glare, "You are gonna go up, and get your sister out of her room right now!" he pointed to the hall, where the stairwell was, to indicate his point, "I will not take this. Sharpay is as much a member of this family, as everyone else is. Get her down this instant!"

Ryan pushed his chair back, and shot a dirty look in Tatiana's direction, mostly for fun though, so she only stuck her tongue out at him, before sipping her wine. Ryan hurried out of the dining room, and into the hallway, where he leaned against a wall, to figure out how he was going to do this. They would need a really good excuse, if Sharpay wouldn't come down. What was he going to say?

He continued up the stairs, and down the hall, until he came to Sharpay's door. He gently knocked on it, and could hear her music being turned down, before a soft 'come in' was heard through the closed door. He pushed the knob down and peeked inside. She was on her bed, staring at the ceiling. He went inside and sat down next to her, a worried smile across his face.

"Shar…" he said, and reached a hand out to her cheek, "You need to come down. Father is getting annoyed with you."

Sharpay pushed his hand away, and turned onto her side, so he couldn't watch her, "There's no way I'm gonna sit down around a table with that… that…" she searched for the right word, but obviously she had troubles finding it, "-that _prick_!" she finished, spit flying everywhere at the last word.

She was _that_ angry.

Ryan placed his hand on her hip instead, hoping to calm her down, "Now, Sharpay," he said, in a very knowing voice, "you know you don't mean that. You love Troy. And are you even sure this is all his fault? Whatever happened between you two anyway?"

"Urgh Ryan," Sharpay mumbled, still not turning to look at him. She didn't want to. She couldn't look him in the eye; it was too embarrassing, even if he didn't know what had happened, "you really don't wanna know."

Ryan snorted, "But Sharpay," he said, and moved his body over hers, to lie down on the other side of her. He got comfortable, as their faces were mere inches away from each other, and he held her shoulder, to keep her from turning around (just in case), "I do want to know." he stated, "I wouldn't ask, if I didn't want to."

Sharpay closed her eyes for a second, and gulped slightly. She knew this scene would be misunderstood if someone other than their closest family saw them lying like that. Some people would find it wrong, but they were just very close. She loved Ryan with all her heart, and they had always been acting like this. It was natural for them. She opened her eyes again, and looked straight into his blue ones, "Are you sure?" she asked him, voice soft, "Are you sure you want to know, Ryan?"

Ryan nodded. He could see this was hard on her, but he needed her to be honest with him. Even if he did already know, it was nice for him to know that she would come to him if she had problems. And as things were now, it didn't seem like she would. He needed her to open up to him. "Yeah, Sharpay." He said, and let his hand slide from her shoulder, to the small space between their bodies, "I really wanna know."

Sharpay gulped, and closed her eyes again, clearly thinking of a way to say this to him. He let her take her time, to find the right words, and just watched, as she struggled with this. He almost couldn't bare to see her like this; it was hurting him. She opened her eyes again, and took in a deep breath, "I – Troy and I sorta…" she paused, and bit her lip, before saying; "We slept together, Ry."

Ryan did his best to act surprised. He let his eyes snap wide open, and his jaw hit his chest. He let out a gasp, and took in a deep breath, "You what!?"

Sharpay cocked her eyebrow, and gave him a weird glance. She seemed suspicious, as her eyes moved together like a cat's, "Something tells me you _already_ know?" she asked him, and for a moment seemed to forget how many troubles she had herself.

Ryan let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Of course she could see he was pretending. She knew him better than anyone else did, so of course she would know he was acting, "Yeah…" he said, and mustered a smile, "Yeah, I already did. I sorta… got it out of Tessa. She promised not to tell anyone, though."

Sharpay couldn't help but smile at the mental image of Ryan 'threatening' Tessa to tell him what was up. It was a rather funny picture, "Yeah, alright, I should have suspected that." she just said, and Ryan was happy she didn't freak out on him, "You always have to take care of me, right?"

Ryan nodded his head, and gazed into her eyes again, before she rolled over, to lie on her back, "I wanted you to be happy again, Shar. You weren't happy. So I tried to make you happy." he explained, voice soft, "It didn't work, though."

"Nah," Sharpay said, and eyed him out of the corner of her eye, "it didn't. Because I really need time. Thanks for trying, though. This is just freaking me out, and I can't seem to forget it."

Ryan moved closer to her body, forgetting everything about their waiting father in the dining room. He just placed his head on her stomach, and let out a sigh, "Can you tell me what exactly went down between you two, then?" he asked, wanting to know. It would probably be weird to hear her tell it, but he still wanted to know, "What caused the two of you to take this step? How could you even agree to do it?"

"I didn't." Sharpay said, voice strained because she was lying down, and Ryan was on top of her, "I didn't agree to do it. I was drunk. And apparently I told Troy I was in love with him or something. He thought that meant he could sleep with me, so he did. I remember nothing except a few flashes now and then. He remembers everything."

Ryan nodded softly, freaked out by the quietness of her voice, and the emotion floating off of it. It wasn't like Sharpay at all. She wasn't _Sharpay_. She was different. "How could he do that, though?" Ryan wondered aloud, "He's supposed to be your friend, right?"

Sharpay nodded, "I know," she whispered, and closed her eyes tightly, to keep the tears from rolling again, "he is. I don't understand why he did it. I trusted him completely. I trusted him with my _life_!"

Ryan moved his head from her stomach, and sat up in her bed, looking down at her, a smile on his lips, "You want me to talk to him?"

Sharpay offered him a smile, "Nah," she said, "trust me, Ry; it's better if you don't get in the middle. This is between me and Troy, and I hope we can work it out. I really don't want to lose him."

Ryan nodded, understanding completely where she was coming from. He knew she would hurt like never before if she lost Troy. They were so close, and he wouldn't be able to watch her in pain like that. He had to know though – because it was important for him to know these things, he _was_ her twin brother – he had to know what her feelings were like, "Can I ask you one last thing, though?"

She nodded her head, "Yeah?"

Ryan thought the sentence over in his head for a second; debating on how to form it. He decided though, to just come out and say it – "Do you…" he trailed off, and took in a deep breath, "Do you love him… Sharpay?"

Sharpay turned her gaze a little upwards, to lock eyes with him. The brown of them were filled with some unknown emotion, and Ryan was a bit afraid of the answer, "That's the thing, Ry…" she whispered, voice soft and a bit scared, "I think I do… I just - I just don't want to."

Ryan nodded and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her cheek, before hurrying out of the room, leaving her be. He could always tell their father she was feeling sick. He understood why she didn't want to face Troy right now. He didn't want to get into her mind or anything, he just had a sense of what went on in her head. It was a twin thing. And he didn't want her to get hurt.

She had to figure this out on her own, before she could really make up with Troy. He blessed her for trying earlier on, but she wasn't ready to get that close to Troy yet; to have that conversation. She needed to get over it, and she needed to make her feelings clear. Whether it took a long time or not, they were going to have to be patient.

Richard looked up at his son, when Ryan entered the living room. He was disappointed, yet not surprised, when he didn't find Sharpay right on his tail.

"She has a migraine, father." Ryan explained, before he sat down around the table, to finish his dinner.

No more questions were asked.

* * *

_Soooo. I hope that didn't disappoint any of you. I tried writing it the best I could. I hope the flashback was alright too? I had promised a few people I'd write some more, so here was at least one more. I hope you enjoyed the Troy/Sharpay moment, even if they were fighting. I still have a few things in store for them… And I'm still working on that ending. _

_We just got off for Winter break this Friday, but I'm not going to be able to write a lot, even if I have time off. I'm leaving for London tomorrow. My dear father invited me and my sister with him, so we said yes. We don't see him a lot, so it's going to be different to spend five days with him. I will update as soon as possible when I get back, though, I promise you that. _

_**Dedication; **__ametomoe__. Because you rock. You always help me with my mistakes. You always take the time to tell me what's wrong, and what I could do better. I appreciate that you take the time to do that, because it makes me better in the end. You're so wonderful ;P_

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical. _


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**Chapter Twenty Five**

**Milk and Brownies**

Sharpay was so nervous. She felt like her heart was in her throat, and her palms were sweaty. She curled her hand into a fist and took a deep breath. Today was going to be so hard. She didn't know how she would even be able to go through with it. But she had made up her mind, and this was what she was going to do. It was decided, and she knew it was better this way. She had to do it. For her own sake. For everyone's sake.

She got out of her pink car, and grabbed her things on the way. She closed the door, and leaned herself against the side for a moment or two. Her whole morning had been a daze.

Her father was still angry with her for not being at the family dinner, and her mother just gave her those disappointed eyes she hated so much. She really didn't want to let down her parents, but there was things a girl couldn't do. And one of them was having dinner with her best friend, whom she had recently drunkenly slept with, and was now having a fight with. It just wasn't possibly to have dinner like that. She was sure her mother would have understood, had she known the circumstances. But Sharpay would never tell her those. Never, ever.

Sharpay got her act together, and hurried across the parking lot, and through the double doors to East High. She was nervous about seeing Troy. She knew she wouldn't be able to look at him. The way their fight ended Saturday had really caused her troubles sleeping. He was really jealous. The news had hit her like a ton of bricks. He was _insanely_ jealous, as he had put it himself. If he was jealous like that it could only mean he really did love her, couldn't it?

At first when he had said so, she hadn't really believed him. She had kinda thought, that maybe he was confusing in love with love. Like, friendship love. That he couldn't tell the difference, and just figured this was good – the two of them, together. But she had been wrong. It wasn't just friendship love, it was real love. He really was in love with her, she could see that now. But how would she ever be able to make this good again? There were a few things she had to do, but she wasn't even sure it would be enough.

But today she would do one of them. Even if it was going to hurt innocent people, she had to do it. She just had to.

She stopped by her locker, to get her books for first period, and was happy to see Gabriella down the hallway. It would be nice to say hi to her. It was one person who knew nothing about this, and wouldn't be judgemental. Sharpay felt like she really needed that.

She went down the hallway, and gently poked Gabriella in the back, which caused the brunette to squeal out loud, and turn around, angrily glaring at the blonde; "Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again!" she said, very clearly pronouncing each word.

"Aw, Gabs," Sharpay said, and gave her the 'I'm-not-guilty'-look, "I just wanted to say hi."

"So say hi, and don't poke me." Gabriella told her, as she turned around and closed her locker. Her arms were loaded with books, but she had a smile on her face.

"Hi." Sharpay then said, her eyes huge.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, as the two girls started walking down the hallway, towards homeroom. There was a comfortable silence between them. Sharpay enjoyed that, while Gabriella kept thinking things over. What could be up between Troy and Sharpay that was such a huge deal, that Ryan and Tobias didn't want her to know? It had to be big. She was sure of it. Sharpay didn't look particularly worried about something, but then again; she was an actress, and she knew how to hide her feelings, even if she carried her heart on her sleeve.

"Had a nice weekend?" Sharpay broke the silence. Just to say something. They couldn't stay quiet forever, now could they?

Gabriella softly nodded, "Sure, yeah, it was alright. I didn't do much." She paused, as they turned left, pass the cafeteria, "How about you? Had a good, nice weekend?"

Sharpay paused, and shrugged her shoulders, "It was alright. Had another fight with Troy, though. When they were there for dinner, yeah. Can't do much about it."

Gabriella stopped moving, and bent her head. She could hear Sharpay's heels clicking against the floor for a second, before the blonde realized she wasn't following her anymore. Then Sharpay turned around, and placed her right hand on her hip, "What's up? Coming, Ms. Slowly?"

Gabriella looked up at Sharpay, doing her best to look hurt and alone, "When are you going to tell me what's up with you and Troy?" she pouted, and took a step closer to her friend. She knew Sharpay had a soft heart. She was a sucker for the pouty look, no matter who used it; Gabriella had learned that a long time ago.

Sharpay got a soft look on her face, as she reached her arm out, and grabbed Gabriella's hand, "Oh, I'm sorry, Gab." She said, and pulled the other girl closer, "I didn't realize you really wanted to know about all this. Of course you have to know, you're one of my best friends. You just want good things for me."

Gabriella looked up at her, still playing sad. And with a huge sigh, she said, "Yeah, I do want good things for you, Sharpay. But if you don't want me to know, I can't force you. It's your life, really…" and then she sighed again.

Sharpay couldn't help but chuckle, because she now realized what Gabriella was doing. The second sigh was a bit over the top, "You're really cute like that Gabriella, and for that I won't tell you."

Gabriella couldn't hide her smile, even if her plan had just backfired, "But it would have worked without the second sigh?"

Sharpay sighed dramatically, "Yeah, unfortunately it would have." She said, with that certain Sharpay-look, "Too bad you don't know where to stop." She padded her on the shoulder, "But you'll get better, honey."

Gabriella's shook head because of the weird blonde. Sure, she wanted to know badly, but she could also wait a bit. She knew she would find out someday. But right now, it was reassuring enough, that her pouty looks were getting better. She then couldn't hide her smile when she grabbed a tighter hold of Sharpay's hand, "Let's get to homeroom, then!"

"Yeah," Sharpay laughed, as they started down the hallway in a hurry, to get to class on time, "let's."

**--ooo--**

Troy had been doing everything in his might to not run into Sharpay. He had ignored her when she and Gabriella entered homeroom together, though he had seen out of his eye that Sharpay was trying to smile at him, just trying. Unless it was for someone else, who knew.

He was lucky to have no classes with her today, but during lunch he had to sit at the same table with her. She was giggling with Gabriella and Kelsi, while he was focussing his mind on Chad and Zeke, who were going on about basketball. He had to really hold back on himself, so he didn't hit Zeke or kick him, because of the conversation he had had with Sharpay that Saturday.

It was hard for him to loathe Zeke, because they had been friends for so long. But it was also extremely hard for him to not loathe Zeke, knowing he was one of the reasons Sharpay wasn't with him. He just listened to Chad, who had a new plan for basketball practice this afternoon. It sounded really great. And the whole team was getting together so they could get more into shape.

Of course they were already in shape, but their game could get better. And Troy sort of missed hanging with the guys, so he was looking forward to the afternoon now.

And he was very happy when it finally came. They were changing into their shorts and t-shirts, and just talking to each other.

"Hey dude!" Chad replied, and placed an arm around him, all buddy-buddy, "No more of not being able to hit the net, okay?"

Troy pushed him off, and gave him high-five, "No way, dude! I'm in the mood for some real ball now! Can't wait to get out there."

"That's good, because even though you're having girl trouble, we shouldn't suffer." Zeke butted in, trying to sound funny.

Troy shot him a look, while Jason chuckled lightly. Zeke was about to open his mouth again, to say more, when his cell phone went off. He quickly dug into his bag, and got a hold of his phone. They could all tell by the goofy smile on his face, that it was Sharpay who had called.

"Hey babe!" he cheered, and eyed Chad.

"It's the girlfriend." Jason said, and shook his head in that certain way. The guys just chuckled, while Troy's blood started boiling.

"Sure, sure, babe." Zeke said, now sounding a bit worried, "I'm in the middle of practise, can't it wait? …right now? Alright, alright, Shar." He said, and then paused, "I'll meet you there, but you have to make it quick then." There was a long pause, so Sharpay had to be rambling, "Yees." Zeke finished, "Yes. I'm coming outside right now. Bye." he closed his phone, and turned to the guys, "I'm gonna go see Sharpay for a second, okay? Apparently it couldn't wait."

Chad shrugged his shoulders and urged for Zeke to go on out and speak to his girlfriend. Zeke shot him a smile, and hurried out of the changing room. "Let's get started instead!" Chad told the rest of them, and they all followed him into the gymnasium, and then through the doors, to the outside court.

It was a quite hot day outside, and the guys immediately started jumping up and down to get their blood running. Coach Bolton wasn't there yet; maybe he wouldn't be there at all. But if he didn't show, Chad or Troy would just control practice.

"Where are the balls?" Jason questioned, and when Chad pointed towards the gym, two of the guys went in there, to retrieve the balls, so they could all get started.

One of the guys, Duke, fell onto the ground with a groan, "It's too hot to play, Chad!" he said, and lifted his head slightly, to shoot Chad a glare, "Can't we just rest?"

Chad stood above him, his 'fro shielding the sun from hitting Duke's face, "No way, Duke!" he said, "We really need this practise; it's been forever since we really practised. We need this, dude."

Duke groaned again, and moved to stand up. The two guys, who went in to get the boys came outside again, pushing the casket with the orange balls. Just as they had gotten the thing opened, and they were ready to get a few techniques down, Zeke came out from the changing rooms, looking rather bummed. Actually, he didn't just look bummed. His face was emotionless. His eyes were wide, and he looked puzzled.

They could immediately see that something was wrong. Chad dropped his ball to the ground, and while it bounced away, they hurried to Zeke's side, closing in around him; all concerned for their friend. Troy couldn't understand what was up now. What had happened? Hadn't he just been with Sharpay? If he had, he shouldn't be looking sad; he should be overjoyed and happy. Sharpay did that to people.

"Dude?" Jason asked, and padded him reassuringly on the back, "Zeke," his voice was soft, "what happened?"

Zeke swallowed hard, and didn't respond. He just shook his head slightly. Chad shot Troy a worried look above Zeke shoulder, and Troy arched an eyebrow, and pushed his way through the other guys, to look at Zeke.

"Man," Troy said, and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He couldn't understand what was wrong, and now he was seriously freaked out about it. It was his buddy… He had to be alright. He just had to, "tell us what's up. We really want to help you with whatever it is."

Even if he hated Zeke for being with Sharpay, Zeke was still his friend, and he cared about him, aside for the Sharpay-thing.

"Something about the lady?" Chad asked, a suggestive look in his eyes. Perhaps he thought it was something good – maybe a quickie in the bathroom. But that was just how dumb Chad could be – he really didn't use his brain at times, because it hurt him too much. Wouldn't want to overuse those few brain cells he actually had left after being hit in the head with a basketball a gazillion times.

Zeke sniffed, and this caused everyone to worry even more. Even Chad was sure now; this wasn't something good. The Mrs. must have brought him bad news. The question was just… what were those bad news? And were they _really_ bad or perhaps just bad? Those were the questions that haunted each member of the team right now, and they all held their breaths, so Zeke could tell them.

He shook his head, and tried to hold back tears (note the _tried_; he didn't succeed), "We… W-we…" he paused, and sucked in a breath, "She-she broke up with me…" he whispered, as his lower lip quivered, and he looked like a big baby. They all felt bad for him though, so they didn't even comment on it. They knew how much he loved Sharpay; it was okay for him to cry, was it not?

Jason was really shocked. Zeke was his best friend. He had really thought that Sharpay might actually stay with him. Sure, he had been hesitant first, when Sharpay and Zeke got together, because she was the Ice Princess. But Zeke was so in love with her, and even if Jason didn't like her personality per se, he knew what Zeke felt like. Zeke wanted Sharpay, so Jason would support him to no end, even if he had had bad feelings about Sharpay. But then he'd gotten to know her better, and she seemed like the perfect match for Zeke – how could they have broken up? They were so cute together.

"Zeke man…" he mumbled, and awkwardly leaned in to hug Zeke, because he know he needed it. He really had no idea what else to say. He was just really shocked about this. What could you say to a man who had just gotten his heart broken? A man, who had gotten his heart ripped out by the girl he loved to no end? Zeke was crushed and Jason knew, nothing he could say, could cheer him up.

"Dude!?" Chad, with the always open mouth, shakily questioned. He had actually started to like the thought of one of his buddies actually making out with the blonde witch. Sure, he could deal with Troy being best friends with her and close with her, but that was just it. He hadn't really pictured one of his friends falling for her. But then when Zeke did, it had taken him awhile to get comfortable with it, but he had. And now it was like… over. He didn't know what he would do to her now. First she had hurt Troy for some reason, and now Zeke too? Was she out to get the basketball team now, or what?

"What… what happened, man?" Duke asked Zeke, as they led him across the court and towards the grass, so they could sit down or something. They weren't even sure if his legs could carry him. He looked just about to drop on the rocky asphalt any minute now. They got him safe across the field, and Duke grabbed his arm tightly, as he sat down, and just stared blankly into space.

Chad poked him on the shoulder, "Zeke?" he said, trying to get through to him again.

"Yeah!" Zeke's head snapped up, and he stared at Chad, brown eyes wide open, "Yeah," he continued, looking into his lap again, "yeah, we… We broke up." he said, again.

"Yeah, dude." Jason said, and kneeled down in front of him; he didn't know if this was getting too girly, perhaps a few of the guys thought so, because they were pulling back slightly, to get out of the conversation, and leave the best friends by his side, "You said that before. What happened? What did she do?"

Zeke arched his eyebrows together, and paused for a second, as if to think back, "She…" he swallowed, "She called me and I went out there to talk to her… And then she just… She told me."

"But what did she say?" Troy butted in, finally deciding to speak. Also because he had to know this. It was for all selfish reasons right now, even though he also felt bad for his friend. But there was also that inner joy going on; he just couldn't help it, "What were her reasons for breaking up with you?"

This seemed to pull something inside Zeke. This seemed to 'wake' him. His head shot up, and he looked at Troy with eyes full of questions and also some sort of pain (of course; his heart just got broken), "Maybe you know. She probably tells you everything anyway. You're best friends after all."

Troy was a bit taken aback by the accusation of being somewhat involved with Sharpay and her reasons. How should he know why Sharpay decided to break up with her boyfriend? They weren't even speaking right now, Zeke should have noticed that. "Zeke man…" Troy said, and held his hands up in defence, "I don't know what's going on in Sharpay's mind." And added, in the reminder of the Chad's somewhat wise words, "I don't attempt to understand the female mind."

Chad decided to butt in and help him, "Leave Troy out of this; he has nothing to do with it. Sharpay isn't even speaking to him. So why don't you just tell us, huh?"

Zeke sighed. "Sorry," he mumbled, and looked at Troy, who now lowered his hands again, "I'm just so… I'm so _angry_ with her right now."

"Because she broke up with you?" Jason wanted to know. He was curious, of course.

"No!" Zeke said, and stood up, because he couldn't stand to sit anymore. The shock seemed to be over, and now he seemed to be furious. They were all dieing to know now – what had Sharpay done? "No!" he repeated, clenching his fist, "She Goddamned cheated on me!"

The gasp was loud. Jason couldn't help but gasp because he hadn't believed Sharpay would ever do that. Duke gasped because it was a huge deal; cheating shouldn't happen like that. Why had she done it? Chad gasped because Zeke blurted it out like that. It came out of nowhere. He had thought maybe it was something else, maybe it was her and not him, and maybe she just wanted some time alone; he hadn't thought Sharpay would ever do something like that. And Troy. Gosh, Troy was shocked for real.

He gulped. She had cheated on Zeke. He had already known that. But he was shocked she would actually tell Zeke about it. Of course she had always been honest like that, but he hadn't actually thought she'd tell him. But she probably hadn't told Zeke with who, because then he was sure he would have had more than one black eye right now. Zeke wouldn't have let it slide if he had known.

"With who?" Chad then asked. Of course Chad would ask. He was curious, and he wanted to know. Of course he wanted to know. Who wouldn't?

Zeke closed his eyes for a second, before he stared Chad in the eye, "She wouldn't tell me." he muttered, and stuffed his hands into his pockets, with a sigh, "I really wanted to know, so I asked her. I was angry. But she wouldn't tell me. It got me even more angry, so I kept on asking. She wouldn't tell me."

"Bummer, dude." Duke said, feeling genially sorry for him. Of course it was a bummer. His girlfriend had just dumped him, and before that she had cheated on him. It was a real bummer, of course. Who would want to experience that? It was something they'd all hoped none of them would go through. But right now, Zeke just had.

"Yeah, man…" Chad said, and patted him reassuringly on the back, "I'm real sorry for ya', dude."

"Yeah, same here, buddy." Jason added, and then turned to look at Troy, a certain look in his eyes.

Troy realized that he was supposed to say something too, so he awkwardly cleared his throat, and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah, same here, dude." He nodded, even if his mind wasn't working. Sharpay hadn't mentioned his name; that was a relief. But he was seriously disappointed in her. Sure, they weren't really speaking with each other, but she could have mentioned she was going to dump her boyfriend. Shouldn't he know? Especially after the conversation about Zeke they had had. And why had she done it? Had she done it because she now wanted to be with him, or why? _Why had she done it?_

He really needed to know.

"I wish we could do something." Duke added.

"It's alright," Zeke mumbled, but smiled thankfully at them, nonetheless, "it's not your fault. It's between me and Sharpay. I just… I'm angry with her. She hurt me. But I also love her. Still. I … I love her." he paused, and scratched the toe of his sneakers into the grass, "I need to speak with her soon. I just – I think I'm gonna let this sink in, y'know?"

"Understandable, dude." Chad said, and gave him another pad on the back. Then he pulled back, and with a thoughtful look, he added, "And hey – just so you know…" he searched for the right words in a very un-Chad-like-way, and said, "If you ever find out about that guy – if you find out who he is – I'll go beat him up for ya'. I'm sure the guys will help, right?"

Jason nodded reassuringly, and placed an arm around Zeke, "We'll be there, dude. Don't you worry."

Troy's eyes had gotten wide at that comment, and he decided to keep quiet. That wasn't too good. Chad was really on Zeke's side here. He didn't want to be Sharpay tomorrow; coming to school. The guys would gang up on her, and yell at her, if he didn't do something. Even if she had hurt him, he didn't want them to hurt her. And he definitely didn't want to be himself either, if it ever got out who Sharpay had slept with. He was sure Chad wouldn't do anything to hurt him, knowing it was him, but he would be disappointed in him, and Troy would lose friends he treasured. He'd lose Zeke. And Jason too. Possibly others of the basketball guys. He didn't want that – they were his buddies.

He had to make sure it didn't get out. He had to talk to Sharpay about it. Right now, he knew that he knew he had slept with Sharpay. And his family knew. He had a slight feeling that Ryan knew too, but who else should know? Sharpay wouldn't have told her parents. There was none of his friends who acted like they knew what had happened, so he just had to make sure that it didn't get out. He would definitely have to talk this through with Sharpay.

If she would listen to him.

If she would give him the time of day.

"Alright," Zeke said, and clapped his hands together, to show them that emotion-time was over, and it was time for some real ball, "let's get this started, shall we? Thanks for the support, though."

They all mumbled something about, they had his back, and went toward the rest of the guys, who already had a game going. They jumped a bit to get their blood running, and Chad waved to a few cheerleaders who were watching them. A few of them stood up, and got closer.

"What was with the group-thingy?" one of them asked, excitingly waving her pompoms.

Chad leaned in closer to them, so Zeke wouldn't hear, and told them his secret, "Sharpay and Zeke broke up."

One of them, immediately looked excited, and jumped into the air, waving her old, dusty pompoms, "WOHOO!" she yelled, and ran past the guys, cheering her ass off, "THEY FINALLY BROKE UP!"

The rest of the cheerleaders shook their heads because of their friend, while they guys watched Clotisy, as her name was, run across the school's parking lot, still cheering.

That was _a bit _weird.

**--ooo--**

Troy walked through a haze on his way home. He had been in a haze all through basketball practise. The guys hadn't commented on it, though; they probably figured he was worked up about the news of Sharpay's adultery. She was his best friend, so of course it would shock him. They were cool about that.

They hadn't gotten that much practice done, and Troy had left before the rest of them. He just couldn't concentrate. Sharpay was on his mind. Thoughts of her, and thoughts of them. He remembered their night and how great it had been, and then he remembered the many arguments they had had too. How she had thrown water at him, and how she had tried to hurt him by talking all about Zeke.

And now this. What was he supposed to do now? He just wanted to see her. He wanted to have a talk with her, _a real talk_, where they discussed this like two adults. They were old enough to discuss this like normal people. He wanted to know why she had broken up with Zeke like that (and without telling him!), and why she had done it now. He didn't understand it because she had seemed all content about their relationship last Saturday.

In his thoughts, he didn't know where he was going. He was just walking, while thinking about everything going on in his life. And before he knew it, he found himself on Gabriella's street. He hadn't spoken to her much. They were pretty much civil now. And Sharpay _had_ told him that Gabriella was over him. He remembered how nice talks they used to have. It was pretty much the only thing they had going on in their relationship back then. Gabriella was a good listener, and she gave great advice.

Plus, she was close friends with Sharpay now. And since she was over him, maybe she wouldn't mind listening to his troubles? Maybe if he actually went to her house, they could talk a bit, and try to get a good friendship going? The friendship they had before they went out for real? Maybe Gabriella wouldn't mind talking to him?

Setting his mind, he hurried down the road, until he came to Gabriella's house. He took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out, before walking up the front yard, and stopping in front of the door. He gently knocked on it, and waiting for a response; hoping that whoever opened the door wouldn't smack it in his face.

It was Gabriella who opened the door. She looked literally surprised to see him there. Her nose was scrunched up in that cute little way he had always found attractive. Her hair was pulled back in a buckle, a few tendrils framing her face and she was wearing sweatpants. But of course, it was rather late, and she loved jumping into her sweatpants when she got home from school. He had always found that a bit weird, even if Sharpay had often done that too, but now he understood it a bit. It was nice to just relax, right?

"Troy?" she questioned, her voice light and cheery, "Hi… What are you doing here?"

He stuffed his hands into his pockets and casually looked up at her. He actually felt a bit nervous now, being there with her and all, "I just …" he swallowed hard, and locked eyes with her, "I just hoped that we could talk for a bit. Maybe?"

Actually she seemed to love that idea. A smile came upon her face, and she opened the door wider, to let him in, "Sure." She said, as he walked inside, and she closed the door behind him, "I would love that actually. I've actually thought about it. I felt like maybe we needed to speak this through. Y'know our break-up and stuff."

Troy nodded. Even if that wasn't the reason he was there, they could still do that. Maybe it would do him good, "Sure." He replied, "Should we go upstairs?"

"Let me just grab some brownies." Gabriella smiled, and moved towards the kitchen, "You know your way upstairs, I'll be with you in a second."

Troy nodded, and when she was done, he kicked off his shoes, and hurried up the staircase. He knew his way well around this house, so he went straight to her room, and threw himself onto the bed. He always used to flick on the TV when he was alone in her room, but he didn't want to be that way right now. He couldn't be just the way he wanted to; all comfy and relaxed. He didn't know how she really felt about having him here aside from the fact that she wanted to speak it through.

Gabriella arrived two minutes later with a plate of brownies and two glasses of milk. She placed them on her night table by her bed, and pulled it closer to them, so they could reach.

"So?" she said, as she bit into a brownie, "When I was putting this together I realized that maybe you actually came here for a reason, and that speaking this through might be the last thought on your mind." She eyed him in that certain Gabriella-ish way, "We can always do that later, right? So please tell me, I'll listen."

Troy took a brownie too, and broke it in two, before biting into one of the pieces, "I just…" he sighed, "I realize you might not want to hear about this, but then again, you and Sharpay are such close friends. I don't even know if she has told you about this? Has she?"

Gabriella's ears picked up, "The reason for your fight?" she questioned. This could be her moment. She could finally know, if she played her cards right and got Troy to tell her.

"Yeah." He nodded, and eyed her too, a bit hesitant, "Uhm… Well, and today – today Sharpay broke up with Zeke."

Gabriella spit out the sip of milk she had just taken. It flew across the room in soft cascades, as she tried to cover her mouth. She looked a bit embarrassed for a second, but not longer than that. She wiped her hands off in her pants, and turned to him, "She broke up with Zeke!?" she was surprised. And hurt. Sharpay hadn't told her, and they'd had such a nice chat this morning.

Troy nodded with a sigh. "Yeah." He said, and shrugged his shoulders, before chewing the other part of the brownie. He didn't even have the energy to laugh of her milk-incident. "Zeke was crushed, of course."

"I can imagine." Gabriella nodded. She felt sorry for Zeke. She knew how much he loved Sharpay – it was clear in the way he interacted with her. She swallowed and reached for her glass of milk again, "But what does that have to do with you and Sharpay fighting?"

"Sharpay hasn't told you, huh?" Troy said. He didn't expect an answer though, he just decided to get it over with and tell her, "Sharpay and I … we've sorta… slept together. After the party."

And as fate would have it, Gabriella spit out another sip of milk to follow the first one. She groaned loud, and wiped her face with her hands, before turning to Troy; very shocked, "You slept with Sharpay?!" she whisper-yelled because she didn't want her mom to hear, "How could you do that, Troy? She's dating Zeke! She's your best friend! How did it happen!?"

"We were drunk!" Troy quickly defended himself, even if he hated that fact so much – the fact that they were both drunk (Sharpay much more than him) and had done something so huge when their brains were clouded with alcohol, "And that's why she hates me now! She says I took advantage of her!"

"Of course she'd think that!" Gabriella said and stood up, to stare down at him. She couldn't believe him. It was no wonder that Sharpay was mad at him. Seriously; no wonder.

Troy shot her a look, before continuing the story, "And now she has broken up with Zeke, and I don't understand why. I'm so confused, and I just want to make up with her."

He looked so sad and heartbroken that Gabriella just couldn't be mad at him. She calmed herself down and sat down next to him, placing a gentle hand on his leg, "Hey, Troy…" she said, her voice soft, "It's okay." she told him, "You will make up. She loves you, Troy. This is killing her too, I know it. She probably just needs time. I know you love her, it's no secret, and I hope it works out for you guys. I really do."

Troy smiled at her, and leaned closer to her, so she could wrap her arms around him. She hugged him tightly, and tried to cheer him up a bit. Or just comfort him.

"Thanks Gab, you're so awesome." He whispered, as they pulled apart, "You're so sweet to me. Even after what I did."

"It's okay, Troy." She replied, sincerely, "I'm over it. Really." She paused, and thought things over in her head. She had moved on. He had moved on a long time ago. Was there really any reason for them to be digging into this again? "Actually," she said, when she had made up her mind, "I don't think there's reason for us to even bring up our break up, Troy. It's over. Done with. You need to focus on this. And I'm gonna help you."

Troy turned to look at her, and couldn't help but smile. "Really? You want to help me sort this out?"

"Sure," Gabriella said, and stroked his arm, "sure I will, Troy. I'll do the best I can. Really. I can't promise anything, but I'll try." She shot him a sweet smile, followed by a giggle, before wrapping her arms around him again.

* * *

_Ta-daaah! Sorry for the long wait. I hope this chapter made up for it. And did you see what I finally had happening? Two huge deals! The Zekepay break up! Aren't you happy now? Hehe. I've sure been holding it back for a long time. And of course, Gabriella knows now too. I considered having Sharpay tell her, but then I changed my mind. I don't actually think Sharpay would tell her, even if they are becoming closer. I think it kinda made sense that Troy told her – and also. Now Troy and Gabriella are starting to get closer again. I hope that's okay with everyone, because I want them to have a close friendship again._

_And I made this chapter a lot about Troy. I know I've been having a lot of Sharpay-centric chapters, and some of you have commented on that. And I know I mostly centre this story around Sharpay, even if it is a Troypay story, but that's because I feel better writing her point of view on these things. But of course I wanted Troy in it too – we needed something with him. And this chapter had been planned like this for some time, so I finally gave you a chapter with a lot of Troy in it. I hope I did it okay._

_And thank you so much for all the great reviews. They mean so much to me; they really keep me going. This story is turning out much longer than I intended it to be, and the reviews make it easier to keep on writing. So I'm thanking you all. I love you guys. _

_And oh – I had a good time in London. It's the first time I've really done something like that so it was a whole new experience for me. But thanks for all the 'have a nice time in London's I got. You guys really are the best x3_

_I hope to update soon again. I will try as fast as possible. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical. Wish I did, though._


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**Chapter Twenty Six**

**I'm –Cough- Sick –Cough-**

_She giggled as he pushed her dress down her body, letting it land in a heap around her legs, before he pushed her flush against the bare wall next to his bed. He smiled softly at her, his blue eyes electrifying. She swallowed hard and giggled again; placing her head in the crook of his neck. She took in his smell. It was boost, sweat and his cologne._

_She had always loved his smell, and she took the liberty to kiss his neck lightly a couple of times, before pulling back, to meet his lips. His hands trailed across her half-naked body, and she let her own feel his stomach through his shirt. She had always appreciated his muscles and his strength, but she had never thought she would be able to appreciate them like this. _

_They kissed for a couple of minutes again; breaths ragged, tastes mixing and tongues battling. He then pulled her with him, towards his bed. Not once did they stop to consider this. They landed on the bed in a mess of legs and arms, blonde hair flying everywhere. _

Sharpay moaned in her sleep, and pulled her quilt closer to her body, when the annoying sound of her clock broke her wonderful dream. She didn't even have the strength to move her hand out and shut it off. It was too much; she just couldn't – not after the day she had had yesterday. She wanted to lie there all day long, and not get out of bed.

She wanted to feel bad for herself because of the stupid break-up, and she wanted to eat Ben and Jerry's all day long, wishing they were still together. Was that not what you did when you had a broken heart? Well, girls did, didn't they? She would, anyway.

The door smacked open, and Ashlee's annoyed face could be seen there, "Sharpay, Goddamn!" she hissed, hair flying around her head. One side was loose, while the other was braided. Apparently, she was in the middle of a hair-do, "Shut the damn thing off! You're waking mother and father!"

Sharpay turned onto her stomach, and reached her right hand out to shut it off. However, her closed fist managed to knock it off the table instead, and it slid beneath her bed, still ringing. Sharpay looked up at Ashlee with a pouty face, and saw she was annoyed even more. "It was my right hand!" Sharpay defended herself, and held it out, to make her point clear.

"Damn you lefties." Ashlee mumbled, before she crossed the room and bent down to retrieve the ringing clock from beneath the bed. She successfully pulled it out and shut it off, placing it on Sharpay's table again. She stood up, and looked down at her big sister, hands on hips, like a real mother, "What are you still doing in bed, young lady?"

"I'm too depressed to get up." Sharpay mumbled, as she buried her head in the pillow.

Ashlee bent down, because she couldn't hear what she was saying, "Repeat that?" she demanded.

Sharpay turned around, and shot her a sorrowful look, "I'm sick." She then settled for. She really didn't want to go to school to face Zeke. And the only way she could avoid that was by acting sick. It had worked very well in the past.

"Sick?" Ashlee questioned, and immediately held a hand out, to feel Sharpay's forehead, "You don't feel sick, Shar. And you've just been sick. Are you sure you feel bad?"

Sharpay nodded and swallowed loudly, "I do." She cleared her throat, purposely very loud, "My throat is all sore. And my voice…" she did it again, "I almost can't speak!" she whispered.

Ashlee's eyes turned into two small shapes, almost like a cat's, "Something tells me you're bluffing." She said, and sat down on the bed, by Sharpay's chest, "What happened yesterday, Sharpay? You were all weird when you got home."

"Alright." Sharpay said, now letting her voice return to normal. She felt as if she could trust Ashlee. She might as well tell her. "I'm not sick." She said, and Ashlee rolled her eyes; like she hadn't already figured that out!?, "I'm… I broke up with Zeke yesterday, so I'm mourning."

Ashlee was immediately taken aback. Her eyes went wide, and her mouth formed a perfect 'o', "What?" she whispered, and Sharpay could tell she was shocked, and hurt, and… confused, "You broke up with Zeke? Why?"

Sharpay looked at her ceiling, not wanting to look at her sister, "I just-" she sighed, and stared Ashlee in the eye, "It wasn't right anymore. I had to do it. But I really don't feel like going to school yet."

Ashlee stood up, a slight smile on her face. She was still pretty shook up by the news, but they were settling in alright, "Of course." She said, and nodded her head; more to herself than to Sharpay, "I understand that. I'll let mom know you're feeling bad." She turned around to get back to her own room, but stopped midways and turned to Sharpay; finger pointing accusingly at her, "But you better act sick!" she threatened, before she turned back around; skipping out of the room, humming happily.

Sharpay smiled to herself, and turned onto her other side, to go back to sleep.

**--ooo--**

"She's not here yet." Gabriella mumbled, as she leaned her head closer to Troy's, so he could hear her better. They were standing side by side against a row of lockers, staring at the door with wide eyes. They had been there since the second they arrived to school and Sharpay hadn't showed yet. Ryan and Tobias had shown, but they had gone in the other direction so they hadn't been able to ask them when she would be there.

"I can see that Einstein." Troy angrily said. There was no need to tell him; he had been standing there as long as she had. He might even have been looking harder. He swore the new janitor could have been Sharpay in disguise, but he wasn't sure enough to actually go look.

"Troy!" Gabriella whined, and hit him across the head, "It's Einsteinette, please!"

Troy rolled his eyes and stood up straight, "She's not coming to school today." He settled for and looked Gabriella in the eye, "Either she's sick and has to stay home, or she's so confused about their break-up she can't eat, or…" he trailed off.

"…orrrr?" Gabriella questioned, looking up a him with big eyes. He can't just stop in the middle of such a sentence and not finish it! There was just no way!

Troy bit his lip, "Or she head Chad had planned on attacking her on Zeke's demand and decided to switch to a German Boarding School."

"Oh please, Troy…" Gabriella said, deeply serious. He was just ridiculous, "Why choose German, when you can get French?" she wanted to know; hands on hips.

Troy shrugged his shoulders and grabbed Gabriella's arm tightly, "Let's get to homeroom, shall we? We can catch Ryan in there and ask him."

Gabriella ripped her arm out of his grab and stopped behind him. He turned around and shot her a questionable look, and by that she gave him a face; "I gotta go my own way." She told him, before turning around to get to her locker, and to find Taylor.

Troy watched her leave for a few seconds, before he turned around and hurried down the hallway to get to homeroom. Maybe he could catch Ryan before the bell rang. And he had to keep an eye on Chad – just in case Sharpay decided to show up, and Chad decided to beat her up even if she was a girl.

Troy was really desperate. Not because he wanted to have Sharpay now when she was officially single (even if he also did want that), but because he had to make sure his name didn't get out. If Zeke found out he was the guy Sharpay slept with while they were dating, their friendship would be over. He knew he would have brought it upon himself, but he really didn't want to lose Zeke if he could help it. He knew he would lose several of the other guys too, if Zeke went. He just couldn't risk that. He had to make sure it didn't get out.

And also… He had to know why. He had to ask her why she had broken up with Zeke. He had to know if it was because she now wanted to be with him after having finally seen the light. Or he had to know if it was bad news. He had to know if she didn't want him, and also didn't want Zeke; just wanted to be single. He really hoped she wanted him now. It seemed to make sense.

It was like the perfect, cheesy, romantic movie. The girl breaks up with her jerk-ish boyfriend (even if Zeke _isn't_ a jerk), and finally decides to go for the best friend who has been there through everything. The guy who has always wanted her. She decided that now it was their time; and they would live happily ever after. It was the perfect ending in his book.

He just wanted his happily ever after with her.

Was that too much to ask?

He hurried down the hall and into the classroom, where the guys were already seated. Zeke looked better than yesterday. He had digested everything, and was now not in shock, but just… hurt. And perhaps angry too. But it was no wonder. Really.

"Hey dude!" Troy said, and tried to sound really concerned about his friend, even if Zeke was the last thing on his mind, "How are you? Better today, man?"

Zeke looked up at him, and gave him thumbs-up. "Yeah, man." Zeke said, and nodded his head, "I am. I'm better already. Thanks for asking."

"No problem, Zeke." Troy said, and sat on top of his desk, so he could be a part of the little conversation they all had going on.

"Where's Sharpay?" Chad immediately asked. While Chad and Sharpay had never been the best of friends they had always gotten along because of Troy. Troy had always known that, and it didn't take much from either of them to get the other's blood boiling. He believed this was it for Chad. The guy with the 'fro probably didn't care that Troy and Sharpay were friends any longer. He had had it when she hurt one of his buddies like that.

Troy could tell he was really mad. He could see it in his eyes, and hear in his voice. It was a bit scary, actually.

Troy shrugged his shoulders, "Zeke's not the only one who she doesn't want to spend time with anymore." He said, trying to sound cherry, "I haven't spoken to her for so long. I have no idea. Ask Gabriella. Ask Ryan or Tobias. I dunno."

Chad got a weird look in his eyes, as if he had expected something, but was now beyond confused. He swallowed hard, and nodded slowly. "Fine." He said, "Fine. I'll just do that."

And in that exact moment, Ryan came through the door, Gabriella in tow.

"Ryan!" Chad exclaimed. And it wasn't in a friendly way either. His voice was hard, and the blonde actor almost jumped out of his dress pants in surprise, before he turned to look at the basketball guys. He was friends with the most of them, but seeing them all gathered there was a bit frightening.

"…yea-yeah?" Ryan swallowed hard, but was pushed gently by Gabriella, so he could come closer. He took in a deep breath, and seemed to gather his courage together, "What's up, Chad?"

"Where's your sister?" Chad demanded to know, voice still hard. Even if Ryan had nothing to do with Sharpay and her reasons for breaking up with Zeke, Troy believed Chad would be very hard on him. It seemed like he had to get his anger out somehow.

"She's sick." Ryan could almost not control his voice like that, in front of Chad, so he turned to Zeke and mustered a smile, "Zeke…" he said, voice soft, "Maybe you should stop by later? Uhm… She probably could use some boyfriend comfort or whatever."

Zeke's eyes immediately went wide, and he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. He shot Ryan a questionable look, but didn't beat Jason to it. For once, he was actually quickest.

"Ryan, you don't know?" he shakily asked, patting Ryan on the arm.

Ryan looked he just came down from above – totally confused, "Know what?" he questioned.

"Sharpay dumped me." Zeke said, voice clear as crystal. It didn't shake when he spoke, and he said it loud enough so everyone in the classroom could hear; which meant it would be spread around the school before lunch break, "She broke up with me yesterday."

Ryan was stood still. He didn't move a muscle. Behind him Gabriella's face was growing into concerned folds, while the rest of the guys waited for his reaction. They couldn't wait to see what his reaction would be – it would be very, very exciting to see him either freak out, get mad or grow really, really concerned.

"Wha—at?" Ryan managed to get out, as he took a step back, backing into the desk behind him. He held onto it to support himself so he wouldn't fall, "She. Broke. Up. With you?" he questioned, eyes locking with Zeke's.

He gave a slight nod, arm still crossed. He didn't move or say anything else, he just watched as his ex-girlfriend's brother freaked out.

Ryan got a sour look on his face, and shook his head at himself. Before any of them knew what was happening he had turned around and was hurrying out of there. They could only guess he was going to go home.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay was lying on her bed, trying to read her book. She couldn't really concentrate and she had probably read the last sentence a gazillion times. She hated this. She had broken up with Zeke because she knew she had to after what happened and yet she hated herself for it. Even if she had hurt him by sleeping with Troy and lying to him, she had also hurt him now. And she loved him. They had been together for what felt like years and now it was just over. Just like that.

But she was happy she could stay home for today. Maybe she could even pull a few days off to let everyone get cooled down. She couldn't face Zeke, and she knew Troy would have to be hurt of this too; and he would be mad at her because she wasn't the one who had told him. Gabriella would be disappointed too, and the whole basketball team would want to kill her.

She hoped it was okay with everyone that she wanted to wait with that for a few days.

Her parents had gone out shopping for this and that, so she was all alone in the house. She should probably sleep for a bit, but since she wasn't really sick, she wasn't really tired, and it was all a sick cycle. She kind of regretted not going to school, but how could she? It was too early to face them all.

Suddenly the door burst open downstairs and she checked her watch; confused. Her parents couldn't be home yet, there was just no way. They had just left to get to the stores first thing. Who would be back already now?

She could tell by the footsteps coming up the stairs and closer to her room, that it definitely wasn't Ashlee. That could only mean…

Her door burst open, and she saw a very angry Ryan stand there;

"Don't you tell me _anything_!?" he hissed, and then took a few steps closer to her, smacking the door with a kick of his foot. He stopped in front of her bed, where she had sat up, startled by his outburst. Her book was on the floor, where it had landed after it flew out of her hands in surprise.

Her eyes were wide, and she looked confused, "Huh?"

"You broke up with Zeke?" Ryan asked. His voice was full of hurt as she once again hadn't told him when something huge happened. And she hated that fact. She was getting another guilt trip from him. He knew just wish buttons to push – they _had_ shared a womb; he knew her better than anyone. Well, maybe except for Troy. Troy did know her best, even if they hadn't shared a womb.

She pushed her blonde hair out of her eyes and drew in a deep breath, "Yes." She told him, and tried to lock eyes with him. But he refused to meet her there. He didn't want to, it seemed.

"How can you not tell me something like that?" he asked. And once again, the hurt was evident in his voice. She could almost hear the tears spilling out of his eyes, because his voice was cracking, and it was low and raw. "Sharpay," he said, and turned his eyes to meet hers, "how can you not, huh?"

She stood up, and felt as if she was ready to cry herself, "I'm sorry, Ry." She said, and reached her arms out for a comforting hug, but he stepped back, not wanting to touch her, "I really am, Ryan!" this time her voice was harder.

"Then why didn't you say anything?" he wanted to know.

"Because!" she said, and looked to the ceiling in search for the right words, before she stared back at him again, "Because, I don't know why! I -- I'm so confused when it happens, Ryan. My head gets so messed up, and I'd rather keep it to myself. You might believe I'm a very open person, but there's just… there's just things I can't say. I don't know why, it's like-" she was speaking very fast now, as the words just fell out of her mouth in one heap, "-it's like I don't know how to phrase it, I don't know how to put my thoughts into sentences, and I just keep quiet instead because, I just-" she finally stopped talking and was now very emotional; ready to cry, "because you mean so much to me, Ryan, and I don't want to disappoint you…"

Now Ryan couldn't take it anymore. When the tears started to flow down her pale cheeks, he reached his arms out and quickly pulled her to him; wrapping his arms closely around her body in a bone-crushing hug. She cried into his chest, as he tried to soothe her down; he wasn't successful. He couldn't believe she worried about that. He always thought she was just conceited and didn't even think about telling him; that she just didn't think he might be interested in her life and such. He hadn't really thought she would think about disappointing him and stuff like that. She didn't seem as a person who would really think about stuff like that.

"Shhh, Sharpay." He whispered into her ear, as he hugged her even tighter, and stroked her back gently, "Sccchy, calm down, Pay. Calm down, stop crying, please."

She pulled away lightly and dried her eyes, an embarrassed look in her eyes, "I'm sorry." She hiccupped, "I'm sorry, Ry. I'm such a baby."

"Don't say that." he said. His voice was soft and full of love, "Don't you dare say that. And don't ever think you could disappoint me, Sharpay. You could never disappoint me. I don't want you to feel like you can't tell me what's going on in your life. I want you to trust me with everything, I want us to talk to each other. We can talk about everything, Sharpay. Remember that I'm here for you. You obviously have trouble, and I'm here."

She smiled up at him and tip-toed up to kiss his cheek. "Thanks Ry." She told him, a smile shining in her brown eyes, "You're right. We should talk about everything. We're twins. And I want to talk to you, I'm just…" she wiped away another tear, "I'm just a hella lot confused at times."

Ryan grabbed her hand tightly and sat down on her bed, pulling her close to him; he loved it when they were close like that. They were closer than most siblings, and they both enjoyed moments like these, "It's okay to be confused." He told her, and stared her deeply in the eyes, "I'm confused at times too. I was confused when I didn't know if I was gay or not. You sorta helped me through that. I wanna help you too."

Sharpay managed a weak smile.

"Can you tell me what happened between you and Zeke?"

She took in a deep breath as she tried to think back at what happened, "Sure…"

_Sharpay hung up the phone and leaned her back against the hot, sun-warmed wall of East High School. She couldn't believe she was actually about to do this. It was going to be so hard. And when it was all over, she had no idea what would happen. She really didn't want to lose Zeke, but it was the right thing to do._

_She just hoped he wouldn't take the news too badly. But she had a bad feeling he would. She knew how much Zeke loved her; she could see it in the way he acted around her and the way he looked at her. Everyone told her he worshipped the ground she walked on, and even if she had had her doubts at first, she now realized just how true that statement was. He really did. And it was crazy, but she had loved it. And now she was about to break his heart. _

_She wasn't even sure if she could do it. _

_She looked up when she heard someone approaching, and smiled at Zeke. He was in his basketball clothes; shorts, a sleeveless t-shirt and sneakers. He always looked so hot. She loved his arms and he was just irresistible when he was sweaty after having been to practice. _

"_Hey babe." He mumbled and sat down on the bench, giving her a quick peck on the lips, "I have to practice, so you gotta hurry." _

"_Sure." She quickly said, and ignored the lovely feeling of him right next to her. She would have to get used to not having him right there, "I – Zeke. This is kinda hard for me. I don't really know how to put this, so I guess I just… Uhm…" she trailed off, and mentally kicked herself for being so stupid; why couldn't she just tell him? She had to do it! I didn't help to beat around the bush. _

_Zeke looked concerned, "Shar babe?" he asked, and reached a hand out to place it on her thigh. He squeezed it for a second, to reassure her, "Something bad happened? Is it something with Troy, something with your parents?" _

_She looked him in the eyes. Their faces were millimetres apart, and she couldn't help herself. She leaned herself forward a bit, and planted her lips on his. Her hands went to his face, and she hugged him tightly; wanting to remember this moment forever. Zeke kissed her back, obviously very confused, but he kissed back nonetheless. _

_He pulled away a good minute later, "What is it Sharpay?" he said, and chuckled, "Not that I don't appreciate that, but you're making me worry."_

"_Zeke." She said, and this time she was going to do it. It was now or now. And she decided to choose __now__. She had to get this done. She couldn't live with this, she couldn't figure out what to do as long as she had Zeke. The problem with Troy was too complicated to have someone else in the picture. "Zeke," she said again, "I wanna break up." _

_It didn't take the news too long to sink in. He stood up from the bench five seconds later and stared down at her. And then before she knew what happened, his fist connected with the wall, and he turned around, "Fuck!" he said, back towards her, "Shit!" _

_Sharpay stood up and slowly approached him. She carefully reached a hand out to touch his back, just to reassure him, but the minute her skin touched his, he flinched, and turned around, "Don't do that, Shar!" he said, and pushed her hand away. _

_She looked hurt at him, but then reminded herself what she had just done. Maybe it wasn't crazy of him to shove her hands away, and not want her to touch him? She had just broken up with him, it would be the most normal thing to do. She took a step away from him to give him his space, and just crossed her arms in front of her chest in a protective manner, waiting for him to say something._

_He looked up a her, and she was not so surprised to see a few tears in his eyes, even if he was trying to hide them from her. But she didn't mind him being emotional – it was one of the things she fell for about him; that he was open about his feelings, and was not afraid to show them. _

"_Why?" he asked her. He had to know. He had to know why the girl he loved more than anything, the girl his parents loved and adored, and the girl who was his perfect match, was breaking up with him. He just had to know, "Why?" _

_She bit her lip, "I don't want to lie to you Zeke." She told him, looking up at him. She had tears in her eyes too, and he didn't understand why. She was the one who was breaking up with him. If it made her sad, then why was she doing it? "I really don't." she continued, and watched as she drew a circle with the foot of her ballerina shoe, "I told myself I wouldn't lie to you if you asked. That you had to know the truth. So I'm gonna tell you. Even if it hurts you." she paused, "And me." _

_He arched his eyebrows together. Now he was really confused. What could have made her confused like this? What could hurt him, but also her? He had to know. Even if it would hurt him. _

"_Please." He said, and locked eyes with her, as he swallowed hard, "I want to know Sharpay. You're breaking up with me. I ought to know." _

"_And I won't keep you from knowing." She quickly said, and reassured him, "I'm just saying it might hurt. I regret it, Zeke. I really do. But I will tell you." _

_Now he was seriously worried. _

"_I slept with someone else." _

_And just like that, he hurt more than he had ever done. He felt as if his heart was ripped out, trampled on and cut into pieces. He had thought a lot of things for the last couple of minutes; he had thought of her reasons for doing this, but he hadn't imagined this answer. He had never thought Sharpay could do this. He felt like he knew her. He had sworn she wasn't one of those girls, that she was better than that. But how could she? Maybe he didn't know her at all… _

_It hurt. _

"_Zeke?" she whispered, and again, she tried reaching out to him, but he took another step back, "Say something, __please_

_He looked up at her, those brown eyes full of hurt and questions. He just had to know. No matter what, he had to know… "Who?" he questioned, and this time his voice was just hollow. It was like, the last thing he wanted from her. Just an answer to that question, and that was it. Nothing more._

_Sharpay swallowed and looked up at him. Her look was full of apologies, because she just couldn't say this, "I wanted to be honest with you Zeke. Which meant I wasn't going to lie, but I'm not going to tell you this. It's not a lie, it's just me not… telling everything. There's a difference." _

_Zeke bit his lip. He had to know. If she didn't understand that, then something had to be wrong with her, "Don't I deserve to know?" he asked her. His voice had an edge to it, and he could see it startled her. _

"_Zeke," she said, and her voice was soft and gentle, "you have to realize that there's some things I just can't tell you. This is one of them. Nothing good will come from me telling you. You have got to understand that." _

"_No!" Zeke said, voice firm, "I don't understand that. I have to know. I deserve to know." _

_She shook her head, "No. You don't."_

"_My girlfriend Goddamned cheated on me!" Zeke exclaimed, raising his voice, "I fucking deserve to know Sharpay! Why can't you see that? You cheated on me! How the __hell__ could you do that to me!?" _

_"I'm sorry, Zeke!" she said, and looked up at him again, more broken now, "I really am. I didn't mean to. It happened once, and I – I didn't know what to do. But I had to tell you, I couldn't stand the thought of hiding this from you. And I knew that – I knew that we had to break up too. This has confused me more than I was before, and this is what I need. I hope we can still be friends, and-"_

_He cut her off, "You slept with someone else while we were dating." He said, "Imagine me sleeping with … let's say Kelsi… How would you feel?" he suggestively said, "Would you feel like you could even be friends with me after? Be friends with Kelsi?" _

"_I would…" she sighed, deeply, "I would try to be friends with you because you're you. But Kelsi… I wouldn't even know how to look at her. The thought of being in the same room as her would kill me. The thought of you spending time with her again would absolutely murder me…"_

"_Then you gotta know how I feel." Zeke said, and was now calmer again. He believed he had almost won her over, "You do realize that I have to know who the guy is. The thought that someone saw you the way-" his voice broke; this was too hard for him to talk about, "The thought that someone saw you in a way only I should see you just… It kills me, Sharpay. He wasn't supposed to have you like that, only I was. I have to know who he is. Right now, some guy is laughing at me behind my back. I can't stand that." _

"_He may be doing a lot of things, Zeke, but he's not laughing at you." she promised him, voice sincere. Because she knew Troy wasn't. He would never do that. Even if he had wanted the night for a long time, he hadn't wanted it like that. He hadn't wanted to hurt Zeke in the progress; she knew that for a fact. _

"_Oh, really?" Zeke said, "So he's a nice guy? Well, that just makes it even worse." _

"_What did you expect of me, Zeke?" she questioned, "That I slept around with a bunch of big bad-boys? It has happened one time! I really regret it… But it wasn't a bad-guy. He was sweet. But I still regret it." _

"_Please tell me who he his?" Zeke asked again; he was almost begging now. He just had to know, "Please?" _

_She shook her head, and turned her side to him, arms across her chest. He reached a finger out to turn her face to his, but she resisted, and shut her eyes tightly. _

"_I'm sorry." She whispered. _

"_Yeah," Zeke said, and swallowed hard, "yeah, me too Sharpay." _

_And then he left. _

"…and that was it." Sharpay finished, "He left me there, to go play basketball with the guys, and I went home. I couldn't tell you, of course. I didn't really… I didn't really know how to."

Ryan understandingly nodded and hugged her tightly, "It's alright, Shar." He told her, and kissed her temple, "You've told me now. It'll be alright."

She breathed out a sigh of relief, "So you don't think it was bad of me not to tell Zeke who I slept with?" she asked him, eyes big – she looked so small, "You don't think I'm going to Hell? Gabriella would say I'm going to Hell. I've cheated."

"Trust me, Sharpay," Ryan said, a chuckle in his voice, because this he was sure of, "you're not going to Hell. Wonderful people like you don't go to Hell. You're such an amazing person, Sharpay. I love you with all of my heart. Sure, it was wrong of you to cheat on Zeke. But you did the right thing. You told him the truth."

"So it definitely wasn't wrong of me not to mention Troy's name?"

"No, Shar…" Ryan said and softly looked at her, stroking a thumb across her cheek, "It wasn't. If you had told Zeke it was Troy, their friendship would have been ruined forever. You would have had that on your conscience. And you would have been absolutely broken if that had happened."

She chuckled.

"Now…" he couldn't help but laugh too, "Now. You might be able to work this out with Troy, and whatever happens after that only time will tell. And you and Zeke may become friends down the road. And you know why he might consider that, even if you broke his heart?"

"Why?"

"Because you were honest with him." Ryan finished.

Sharpay couldn't help but smile, when she reached out and hugged him tight, "Thanks Ry…" she whispered, and with an afterthought and a secret smile added; "What do you say you get back in your PJs, and we watch a good musicale? We'll tell mother and father you felt bad, and turned your car around and drove straight home."

"You know what," Ryan said, and pulled back, "I do feel a bit sick. I think I might have a fever? Do I feel hot to you?"

Sharpay reached a hand out touched his forehead, moving her face into thoughtful folds, "Hmm, actually, you do. I think you better get your butt into bed."

Ryan shot her a smile and hurried out of her room, to go across the hall and change his clothes.

**--ooo--**

"So they're actually over?" Taylor asked Gabriella, as they tried to do science. Since Sharpay wasn't there today, Gabriella had joined Taylor and Kelsi by their table.

"Yeah," Gabriella said, and nodded her head, "they are. Sharpay didn't tell me, which I – by the way – think is _crappy_ because we're so close… Troy did. Because we're friends now."

Kelsi snorted, "You're friends now? How did that happen?"

Gabriella gave her a face she might have learned after spending too much time with Sharpay, "It could happen." She said, "He came to me because he had to talk to someone about everything. The break-up and all."

"But he wasn't the one who had his heart broken by the potential love of his life." Taylor quickly reminded her, clearly confused .

And that was when Gabriella remembered; Taylor and Kelsi didn't near know everything about this. They didn't know about Sharpay and Troy's one-night-stand, and they _shouldn't_ know. If too many people knew, soon everyone would know, and everything would be ruined. She shouldn't tell them. She'd just say something else.

"No, but he…" she stopped, to think things through, "He was very worked up on Zeke's behalf. And I think he was sad because he should have been there for Sharpay, but since they're fighting…" she trailed off and let them figure out what she meant. And even if _she _didn't even know what she meant, everything was alright, and they'd believe she did.

"Oh yeah, I totally get it." Kelsi smiled, and gave Gabriella a high-five.

Taylor looked thoughtful for a second, before she started clicking her pen annoyingly. She only stopped when Gabriella placed a hand on her hand, "Sorry." She mumbled, and then took in a deep breath, "Chad told me something… Is it true that Clotisy ran around Albuquerque yesterday, cheering for the Zekepay break-up?"

"Yeah! It was in the news!" Kelsi quickly said; as if it was no big deal, and then nodded her head, curls bouncing, "She came by my house. She was all 'Everyone, cheer for national Zekepay break-up-day!'. It was so weird. I couldn't stop laughing." She paused and chuckled, "I think she continued until she reached two other towns."

"Yeah!" Martha butted in, from behind them, "My Grandma lives right outside town, and she told me she heard her. They thought she was on drugs."

"And then she got lost and couldn't find her way home in all the excitement." Kelsi finished. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses, and she looked like someone who had just finished talking about Donald Duck and his latest screw-up.

Gabriella chuckled and shook her head. That was just _so_ Clotisy. Martha laughed too and turned back to her own table, while Kelsi drummed her fingers against theirs. Gabriella reached into her pocket to retrieve her cell phone.

Taylor chuckled too, "Should we do this then?"

Kelsi looked confused, "Do what?" she asked them.

Taylor resisted to roll her eyes, "Science." She said, and planted a hand on their paper, "Duh."

"Oh yeah," Kelsi giggled, and shook her head, "how could I forget!? It's what we're here for."

Gabriella shot her phone close, after having quickly checked her messages, "Yeah. It is. Let's get this show on the road."

"No word from Sharpay?" Taylor asked, knowing it was the reason Gabriella checked. She was anticipating an answer from their blonde girl and frankly, Taylor was too. It would be nice to know why she hadn't showed up at school – and then Ryan had left too, and hadn't come back. There was something weird about that.

"No." Gabriella said, and sadly shook her head, "No, not a word."

* * *

_Hehe._

_So, what do you say? You liked this chapter? Hated this chapter? I hope you liked it. Not much happened, I know… But I'm ah – I'm getting there. Let's just say that, alright. _

_Thanks for all the great reviews. They're really appreciated. Please leave me another one, please? Please, please, please!? Rofl. I sound desperate now. I shouldn't, right? I'm just asking nicely instead. Would you __mind__ leaving a review? _

_**Disclaimer; **__I do not own High School Musical – it all belongs to Disney. _


	27. Chapter Twenty Seven

**Chapter Twenty Seven **

**I Won't Disagree**

As Troy arrived home that Wednesday, he threw his bag by the foot of the stairs and checked his watch. It was 4:30, so Sharpay shouldn't be sleeping now. She was probably sitting up in bed, all sick, watching TV or listening to music.

She hadn't gone to school today, and Troy was getting worried. He knew most girls cried about break-ups and he _knew_ Sharpay was very emotional. But it just didn't make sense. If she was sad about her break-up with Zeke, why would she break up with him? Or maybe it wasn't about Zeke… maybe it was about something else.

Him, perhaps?

That thought had somehow gotten into his brain during his awfully boring school day, and now it was just stuck there. He didn't know what he was going to do about it. He was sad because she wasn't his, and because she was angry with him. He was mad because she hadn't told him about Zeke, and that she wanted to break up with him. And he was hopeful because maybe, just maybe, she wasn't coming to school because she had feelings for him, and didn't know how to tell him.

He had debated with himself all day, and was now sure he had to go talk to her. He had no idea how that would unfold. If he would yell, cry or kiss her. But he knew he had to see her. He hadn't really seen her since last Saturday. And she was his drug. He was addicted. He needed her, and he was going to get her.

He decided that he better get over there if he wanted to talk to her before dinner, so he went right outside again and crossed the front lawn. He really couldn't believe things had come to this. There was a time when he could cross this lawn and go straight to hers without any weird feelings in the pit of his stomach. There was a time when life was good, and Sharpay was his awesome best friend. But things weren't like that anymore. Things had gone wrong, and changed. He wished it hadn't, but it was also something that had to happen.

Everything changed. Places changed, things changed. And people changed. He had changed, and so had Sharpay. It was the way the world went. You couldn't stop time from passing and things from happening. That's life. He just wished that things hadn't changed the way they had, and that time hadn't passed so fast.

How nice it would be to be thirteen again. Still only a child, soon an adult. It was the best time he had had with Sharpay.

He stopped in front of their amazing, white door and rang the doorbell. He normally never did that, but the oldest Evanses were home, and he never barged in with them there. Only when Sharpay, Ryan and Ashlee were there alone.

When the door opened he came face to face with Viola. She seemed a bit surprised to see him there, "Troy, hi dear." She said, and let him inside. She closed the door behind him, and watching him with a curious smile, "Are you here to see Sharpay? I'm not quite sure she's awake yet, but you can go on up and try."

Troy shot her an appreciative smile, "Thanks, Vi." He said, and quickly kicked his shoes off, before running up the stairs, to get away from the oldest Evans girl as fast as possible. He didn't know why, but he had never actually gotten comfortable around Sharpay's parents, when he was alone with them, the way Sharpay had with his. When they were all together, it was no problem. He could joke with them and goof off, but alone, he always felt… He felt weird. But it was probably because they were almost never there.

He made his way to the right floor and down the hall, stopping in front of Sharpay's room. He could hear soft music streaming through the speakers. He had spent enough time with Sharpay AND Gabriella to know her voice. He took in a deep breath and just prayed that everything would go well. He couldn't know beforehand, but he hoped Sharpay wouldn't yell at him.

Then he held that breath and knocked on her door. It seemed like it took her forever to turn down the music and cross the room to open the door. When it was open wide enough, so she could see him, her face froze, and he got this weird feeling of Goosebumps all over his body.

She looked amazing. She was wearing nothing but one of his old t-shirts and a pair of hot pants. Her hair was thrown back in a messy bun, and she wasn't wearing any make-up. But she looked amazing. And he couldn't stop staring.

"Troy…" she said, and trailed off. Her voice was soft and gentle. It didn't look like she was about to smack the door in his face. That was a good sign… Right? He believed it was, so he dared to shoot her a smile.

"Hey…" he said, and locked eyes with her.

"Hi." She nodded and then opened her door wider, "You wanna come in?"

His grin got huger when he stepped in, and went directly towards her bed. He sat down, and saw that she was standing somewhat insecurely in the middle of her room. Her door was closed again, so they had privacy.

"What are you doing here, Troy?" she wanted to know, and took a step closer to him.

He debated on how to start all this. He had no idea what he really _wanted_ to come out of this. All those things he felt for her right now, were messed up in his head, and he figured that maybe he should just start at the beginning, and hope it went in the right direction, "I heard about you and Zeke." He settled for.

She nodded softly and took a seat on her bed as well. Not as close as she would usually have done, just a few months back, but so there was plenty of space between them. "Yeah…"

"Why didn't you tell me?" was the first thing he wanted to know. He could see he caught her a bit of guard, because she looked confused, and he didn't even know why he asked that question. There was so many other things he could have asked, but apparently it was what he wanted to know, so it had just slipped out of him.

She looked thoughtful for a few seconds, and blinked her eyes wildly. Then she turned her head to him, a stiff smile on her face, "I thought it was between me and Zeke." She replied, as if he should have known that, "I thought that maybe I ought to tell Zeke before I told someone else. And then _really_, Troy, it's not your business. You don't have to know everything that's going on in my life!"

Troy resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "I just want to know what's going on in my best friend's life!" he told her. He tried to keep his voice down, but it was so hard.

"Best friend?!" she exclaimed, and stood up from the bed, to look down at him, "Best friend, Troy? I'm not your best friend, Goddamnit! You ruined that when you slept with me!" she hissed, whisper-yelling; once again, "We're not best friends anymore. I don't even know what we are!"

"I'm not the only one at fault here!" he calmly said, his voice edgy. He stood up from the bed as well, not liking the feeling of her looking at him that way – from above. "You're as much to blame as I am. And I just really – _really_ – hoped that maybe, now that you and Zeke had broken up, that maybe we could discuss this, and maybe you had done it because you wanted things to go different with me?"

"Why would you think that, Troy!?" she asked him.

This time he really did roll his eyes, "Gee, I wonder why I did think that?" he questioned her, "Oh, maybe it's because I've told you a gazillion times that I love you and that I want to be with you! And maybe I just thought that perhaps you had seen the light, and were feeling the same?"

"Troy…" she sighed, and shook her head, "No, Troy. I haven't seen the light. There _is_ no light." She swallowed hard, "I'm just really confused right now, and I badly need some time for myself. I don't care about you and all this crap right now. I care about healing myself. That might be selfish – but _hey_!, that's me!"

"God, Sharpay!" Troy said, and couldn't help but raise his voice a bit, "You don't get how much I love you, do you? You really don't see it, huh? I freaking love you! I just want to be with you. I admit that maybe how I did it was wrong, and maybe I could have handled everything better. But you've done some stupid things too, okay!? And I just wish you would have told me about the break-up, so I didn't have to look like a fool in front of all my friends!"

"So, it's about you, huh?" she asked him, voice soft and raw, "It's about you, and what you want. Try to think of me, Troy. What I want, what I _need_."

He gave her a hard glare, "Usually it is about you, Sharpay." He told her, and now he was saying things he had never dreamt of telling her. He really didn't mind it being all about her, when they hung out. She was so cute, and he enjoyed making her happy. But now it was too much – she had to know she wasn't the centre of his world (except she kinda was), and that he had a life without her, "You're really egoistical, Sharpay. You mostly think about yourself, and now, when I really need that best friend, you're not gonna be there for me." he shook his head and swallowed hard, "You really are low."

It seemed like she had stopped breathing, and she now placed a hand on her heart. He was, on the inside, worried he might have really hurt her, but then she let out a shuttering breath. He was relieved for a second, until small tears found their way down her cheeks. Small droplets rolled down her face, and her brown eyes were huge. She looked at him, like she couldn't believe what he had said. Like… he'd just ruined everything.

She swallowed hard, "I think you should leave now, Troy." She whispered, and the tears rolled down even harder, "Please, leave."

He took a step closer to her, and automatically reached his hands out to reassure her. He was really scared of what his words had done to this 'best friend'.

She took a step away from him, "Leave Troy." She told him, voice hard and more steady. When he just went closer, she repeated it, "Leave, now! Leave, Troy!"

He took in a breath, "I'm sorry Sharpay, I didn't mean it. I'm sor-"

"Leave!" she repeated again, and pointed angrily at the door, "I want you to leave. Right now!"

Before he managed to open his mouth and say another simple 'I'm sorry', the door to her room barged open and Gabriella stared him down, "Troy, I think you should leave now." she told him.

Troy's jaw tightened and he turned away from Sharpay, anger building inside him. On his way out, he passed Gabriella a gave her a murderous stare. He couldn't believe she was supporting Sharpay now by throwing him out? Couldn't that girl figure out whose side she was on?! She told him she wanted to be there for him, and she was throwing him out, while he was trying to make everything better? He couldn't believe her!

He stamped down the stairs and smacked the front door behind him when he left.

**--ooo--**

It took Gabriella around twenty minutes to calm Sharpay down. She was crying, and hiccupping, and snot was everywhere. Gabriella was quite frightened to see Sharpay like this. That girl always seemed so cool and together, and yet there she was; crying her eyes out. Gabriella didn't know what to do or say, so she just kept quiet and wrapped her arms around the blonde girl, hoping that was enough support.

"I just-" she cried, "I just can't believe him… He's- he's supposed to be my best friend, and he's ju-just hurt me s-s-so much. And I just…" she paused, and dried her nose and cheeks off in her shirt, "I hoped he would understand and give me some t-time… you know? B-but he didn't."

"Sssh, I know, Sharpay." Gabriella whispered, soothing her friend down, "I know he hasn't been good. And I'm sorry for you. You just need to calm down, so we can talk about this."

Sharpay nodded and grabbed a pillow from her bed, hugging it close to herself.

"I'll go get us some tea, alright?" Gabriella asked, but she didn't wait for an answer, she just hurried out of there and down the stairs. She needed to get away from the crying for a few minutes. Not that she minded Sharpay being sad, her head just started to ache when someone cried that much.

She went into the kitchen and found Viola sitting there, reading a magazine. She had never really spoken to Sharpay's parents. It wasn't like she and Sharpay had been friends for very long. Ashlee had let her in, and she had only seen Viola through the doorway, and gently said 'hello'.

The older Evans girl looked up when she heard someone be there, "Oh hi." Viola smiled, and closed her magazine, "It's Gabriella, right?"

"Yes." Gabriella agreed, and nervously looked around the room. She felt like she shouldn't look the other woman in the eyes.

"So, where's my girl?" Viola wanted to know. She seemed very interested in what Gabriella was doing there, and it sort of freaked her out.

"I was going to make us some tea." Gabriella quickly exclaimed, and pointed stupidly at the water tap, "For you know… her throat." She lamely added. She had no idea what she should say. She had a _feeling _Sharpay wouldn't want her parents to know about her and Troy, and Gabriella wasn't about to be the one to break their cover.

"Oh, dear." Viola smiled, and motioned for her to go on and get started, "You're free to take what you need. I'm happy to know Sharpay has finally gotten some female friends. It's always just been her and Troy. Not that I've minded that, and don't like him, but… It's nice to see her hang out with other people. I'm just not quite sure if Troy's okay with that."

Gabriella couldn't help but smile, as she got the heater started, "Something tells me he's not. But I think Sharpay has this figured out on her own."

"Yes, I don't doubt that." Viola chuckled and brushed a piece of her short, blonde hair out of her eyes, "She's a little wildcat. She gets whatever she wants, that girl. She always has. And she has her daddy wrapped around her finger."

"_I_ don't doubt that." Gabriella smiled, and sat down opposite Viola while the water boiled.

Viola laughed again, "Yes. Yes, yes. We might have spoiled our kids a bit, but we've never really been there for them. We've realized that before, but never done anything about it. We want to be there from now on. Ashlee needs us. And Sharpay and Ryan have their own lives, they shouldn't be taking care of her all the time."

"I really don't think they mind." Gabriella quickly defended her friends, "They always tell me how much they love her."

Viola nodded for a few seconds, and then arched her eyebrow at Gabriella, "The tea leaves are in that cabinet." She told the young girl, and pointed at one of the many cabinets, "Would you mind making me one, too?"

Gabriella quickly got off of her butt and found three cups in another cabinet, before putting the leaves into them. She worked in silence until the water was done, not wanting to disturb Viola. When the cups were ready, she placed one in front of Viola with a small smile, before grapping the other two.

"Thank you, dear." Viola said, and smiled warmly at her, "You're welcome again."

Somehow that was a huge compliment for Gabriella, and she nodded softly before she left the kitchen. That Viola said she was welcome again meant a lot in her book. The Evanses were fancy. It was a rich family she was befriending. And that they thought she was okay enough to be at their house, was a huge thing.

She made her way up the stairs and into Sharpay's room. She was sitting on her bed, as she fiddled with an old notebook in her lap. Her eyes were dry, but they were slightly red and bloodshot. She looked up at Gabriella when she entered and shot her an appreciative smile.

"Thank you…" she whispered and took the cup, letting the heat warm her fingers. She blew on the liquor, and let the heat rise to her face.

"Your mom is very nice." Gabriella commented and sat down next to Sharpay on the bed, blowing on her tea as well, "She told me I was welcome again."

"Well, that's great." Sharpay said, and managed a small smile, "Because I wouldn't have stopped seeing you, even if she didn't approve. You, of course, would be free to come whenever she was away, but if you wanted to come over while she was home, I would have smuggled you up here."

"She just told me they've decided to be here more for you guys." Gabriella replied, as if it was the most normal thing in the world; her talking about stuff like that with a woman she had just met, and was her best friend's mother.

Sharpay arched her eyebrows together, "Don't you realize how crazy that sentence sounds? Not just 'cuz it's you and my mom, _hello_; weird picture there!" she giggled, "But also 'cuz she would never keep that. She lives for traveling. She should never have gotten kids. Traveling and yoga – that's her life."

Gabriella shook her head and dared to sip the hot tea – she didn't burn her tongue, so it was alright, "Mhm. If you say so. Anyway…" she eyed the notebook in Sharpay's lap and gave the blonde a questionable look, "what's with the notebook? Your diary?"

"Like I would show you my diary." Sharpay rolled her eyes, and took a sip of her drink, before placing it on the nightstand next to her, "It's an old notebook from about two years ago." She explained, "I just to write poems and lyrics in there. When I was this angry with Troy right now, I got to think of one I wrote about him back then…"

Gabriella was a bit surprised, "You wrote a poem about him?"

"Yes." Sharpay nodded, and opened her notebook, to the right page, "We were supposed to do it for a class we had. We had to write about something important to us. It could be anything, it just had to be important. And I wrote about him."

"Can I hear it?" Gabriella curiously asked. She didn't want to butt into Sharpay's private things, but she wanted to know, and perhaps Sharpay really wanted to get it out.

Sharpay shot her a warm smile, "Sure…" she cleared her throat, and clearly said, "_I Won't Disagree_. By Sharpay Evans.

_Ignorance is bliss  
You'd always hear me say  
But at times you can't deny  
Those eyes lookin' your way _

_Let me begin by saying what I mean  
It's a crime against the heart you know  
To be somewhere in between_

_Well don't be shy  
I've got an open heart and hand  
And I just might have to confess just where I stand_

_'Cause lately you make me weaker in the knees  
And race through my veins baby every time you're close to me  
Take me away to places I ain't seen  
They say you've got a hold on me  
And I won't disagree_"

Gabriella was really moved by the poem. She couldn't believe Sharpay had really written that. It was so… deep. It was perfect, and she could feel that somehow Sharpay really meant, or had meant, what she was saying. It was… moving. "Wow." She whispered, and nodded her head, "That was… awesome." She couldn't think of another word, even if 'awesome' didn't describe the poem very good.

"Thank you." Sharpay smiled, and closed the book.

Gabriella let out a sigh and wondered if she should say what she was thinking. But there had to be a reason for Sharpay to tell her all this. There had to be a reason for her _wanting_ Gabriella to hear this poem. So maybe she should just do it? "So, I guess I don't really have to ask if you wrote this because you were falling in love with him?"

Sharpay eyed her calmly, "You know me too well…" she smiled, and then grabbed her tea again, "I did. I fell in love with him for real. He was my first real love. It was right before you came. Therefore you can imagine how hurt I was when he went after you instead of realizing I was right there."

Gabriella nodded softly, letting Sharpay know she was there for her to listen.

"But then Zeke, and…" she let out a sigh, "And now Troy again."

Gabriella held her breath, as she thought things over in her head. Did Sharpay just say what she thought she said? She had to make sure, "Did you just say that… you like Troy again?"

It seemed as if Sharpay had to think it through one more time, before answering. It was like, she had to be sure, but wasn't really, because the question was tough, "Yeah…" she whispered, and let out a deep breath, "I like him now. Again. I don't understand why, because he has treated me like crap. But I like him… A lot."

Gabriella bit her lip in thought, "Then what's the problem?" she asked, curious to know, "He's there for you now. He's sorry. He loves you. He wants to be with you. What's the deal, Sharpay? Why don't you get with him?"

"I like him, yes." Sharpay stated, and nodded her head, "But I don't _want_ to like him. If you understand what I mean?"

Gabriella honestly didn't understand how that could even make sense for anyone, but she just nodded, so she wouldn't have Sharpay worry more over something like this.

"Anyway…" Sharpay trailed off, and padded the notebook, that was lying next to her, "I just wanted you to hear this. I hope you're okay with me and Troy and… everything."

"It's alright." Gabriella reassured her. It really was alright. She didn't care about who Troy went out with. Once upon a time she did, but now she just wanted him to be happy with himself. And she knew Sharpay could make him happy, because he was totally in love with her. And if she was too, then they just needed to get together, "And the poem was really great. Have you ever thought about making it into a song? Y'know, add more lyrics and write a song…"

Sharpay looked thoughtful, "A song?"

"Yeah…" Gabriella nodded, and finished her tea, "I could totally see it! You, playing a guitar and singing that song… _for Troy_." She added, beneath her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing." Gabriella smiled, "Nothing, nothing."

"No, tell me!"

"Alright, alright!" Gabriella laughed, and rolled her eyes at the blonde, who was smiling too, "I'll tell you. I said, I just thought you should sing it for Troy. _To _Troy, perhaps."

"Ha!" Sharpay snorted, and shook her head, "He wouldn't know what it meant. I read this up in class, remember? I just told you that. And he couldn't figure out what it meant. I think everyone else did, even our teacher! But Troy… _Troy_, he didn't know."

"He _is_ a little oblivious at times." Gabriella admitted. She felt like she had to defend him a bit, because she promised she would help him, but she also didn't want to upset Sharpay.

Sharpay laughed because of Gabriella's under-exaggeration. To say that Troy was _a little_ oblivious _at times_, was not much. He was _very_ oblivious _a lot_ of times. And Gabriella knew that perfectly well.

"Anyway…" Gabriella's laugh trailed off, and she managed to speak, "Just to let you know, Sharpay. I'm here for you. Just call me and I'll be here to talk or whatever. Ask anything, and I'll help."

"Thanks." Sharpay smiled. She looked very happy that Gabriella said that.

"That's what friends are for…" Gabriella said, and leaned forward, to give Sharpay a warm hug.

**--ooo--**

Chad groaned into the phone, at his girlfriend, "So you really don't know what's going on, babe?"

"No." Taylor replied, and he could tell she was getting annoyed with him and all his questions. He knew they weren't about math or science, which she would have preferred, but he needed answers, "All I know is that Zeke and Sharpay has broken up; no one knows why, except her, I suspect. I'm not sure if Zeke knows. And Troy and Sharpay are not speaking to each other either – oh wait, is that girl trying to get rid of all her friends, or what?"

"She seems determined to do so." Chad quickly replied, as he threw his basketball into the air. He was lying on his bed, phone placed between ear and shoulder. He caught the orange ball again with a smile.

"Yes, she really does." Taylor agreed, but then quickly continued her 'speech', "The only person she actually opens up to now is Gabriella? Maybe she really knows what's going on between them? Do you think Sharpay would have told her?"

"I dunno…" Chad trailed off. He had no idea. How could he? He hadn't spoken much to Gabriella when Troy wasn't. That was just the way things worked.

"Or maybe Troy has?" Taylor suggested, and Chad was about to remind her of their fight, when she continued, "She says they're friends again. Maybe he opened up to her?"

"So…" Chad trailed off, as he placed his ball on the floor, and turned onto his stomach, "Gabriella is the link here? If we want information, which we do, obviously, we have to talk to her?"

"I'd say so." Taylor confirmed.

Chad smiled, "Alright." He said, "I don't know what to do about all this right now. All I know is, we're no longer a group of friends. Everything is divided; not everyone can speak to each other. And I miss my friends. I even miss Sharpay, and I used to hate her!"

"That's some achievement." Taylor commented. "Anyway, Chad…" she said, and he could tell she was tired, and wanted to go to sleep, "We have school tomorrow, and I really should be in bed. You'll pick me up, right?"

"'Course, babe." Chad smiled, "Love you…"

"Love you too."

Chad hung up the phone and turned back around, so he was lying on his back. This was very confusing. There was something in this thing, that didn't add up. He remembered a talk he had with Troy, a few weeks back, about the two best friends, and their feelings for each other. And there was also that talk he had had with Troy, for what seemed like _ages_ ago – that Troy they had right after Troy broke up with Gabriella, and she had been spreading nasty rumours about Sharpay. Taylor had told him, Troy had told Gabriella that he was in love with Sharpay. And of course Chad himself, had had to mention that to Troy.

Troy had admitted that he did like Sharpay as more than a friend, but that he wouldn't do anything because of Zeke. Now, Zeke and Sharpay had broken up, and Troy and Sharpay were fighting. What had happened?

Chad's best guess was that something had _finally _happened between Troy and Sharpay, and now Sharpay was confused as hell. She had broken up with Zeke, because she was that confused… But that still didn't explain why she hated Troy. Maybe he had done something to upset her? Chad hadn't spoken to Troy about this for a long time, but he had a feeling Troy still liked Sharpay. But then what happened between them?

And more importantly, how could they make this work again? How could they make their friendships work, when so many people were fighting?

Chad let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes. He would have to figure out a way to work past this.

* * *

…_and that wraps up chapter twenty seven. I hope you guys enjoyed it. I worked really hard on it today. We got off early, 'cuz we've been working on our third big AT project the past three days, and now it's vacation for ten days! I'm so happy about that. So far, I only have a few things planned, so I hope to catch up on my stories, and get some of those one-shots written. And then of course… I have a load of homework. I just thought I'd start my vacation by giving you guys an update. _

_The last part, with Chad thinking about a talk he had with Troy, actually has happened in this fic. It's chapter nine, if anyone is interested. You could go back or read it or something. I know I had to. I've sorta messed up a few things in this story, so now I'm trying to clear it out. First I had Chad knowing about Troy's feelings for Sharpay, and then suddenly later he didn't know :S That was a big screw-up, so now it's going like this. _

_And also – I'm so sorry about the length of this story. I had actually never dreamt of this turning out so long. I've never really thought it would. It has taken me much longer to get it written than I wanted to, and it still needs a lot of work before it's done. I guess I'm thanking you guys for sticking with me through this. I know it has to have gotten boring at some point. I hope the next chapter will move us along a bit (even if I know it won't, 'cuz I have it planned as a filler, but then the chapter AFTER that, would get things moving). _

_And sorry for any mistakes. I haven't really read this through. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical, or the song 'I Wont' Disagree'. That one is by Kate Voegele, and I totally love her music. _


	28. Chapter Twenty Eight

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

**Maybe Things Are Getting Better**

Sharpay hurried down the hallway of East High, hoping she wouldn't run into any of the basketball players. She knew that the second they saw her they would rip her head off. By staying home and pretending to be sick, she had just pushed it all in front of her. She knew that they were going to stand up for Zeke no matter how many days she didn't go to school. And this morning her mother had told her that she looked well. So to school it was.

She stopped by her locker and quickly opened it, hoping to shield herself for any looks. Her phone vibrated and she quickly got it out of her pocket, seeing Tessa's name on the screen. She opened the phone, to read the message.

_Okay then. I hope everything goes well for you today :D I'm hanging out with David after school… Sigh. I'm so excited, and he's so dreamy._

Sharpay giggled to herself and typed in a short reply. Tessa was really in love with that David guy now. Ever since she caught them kissing she had been curious to know what was going on, and now it seemed like the two were finally going official. Sharpay was really happy for Tessa. At least one of them had an uncomplicated love life.

She couldn't get her conversation with Troy yesterday out of her head. She knew she had probably been a bit of a bitch to him, she could see that now, but during that moment she was so… _So_ angry with him. There were no words for it. He really ticked her off. She didn't understand why he didn't get that she just wanted some time alone to figure this out.

_Well Sharpay, it's because you've never actually told him,_ her brain reminded her. She glared at herself in the mirror and mentally told herself to shut up.

And Gabriella had been so sweet. She had been there for her and comforted and helped her through her sobs. But she didn't understand why Gabriella hadn't told her she was being a bitch. She knew it herself. And Troy had told her she was so self-centred.

"Is that true?" Sharpay whispered to herself, and stared herself in the mirror again, "Am I self-centred?"

"You bet your ass you are!"

Sharpay quickly turned around in her flip-flops and came face to face with Chad, Jason and Duke. She had never actually been afraid of Chad before, but something told her she should be now. The look he held on his face was not a happy one. And Jason and Duke, who stood behind him, didn't look like they were at Disney Land either.

"Hi Chad…" Sharpay said, and quickly let her eyes wander to the other guys, "Jason. Duke." She gave them both a small nod, and Jason offered her a smile, even if he didn't want Chad to know he did so. She really appreciated that.

"Hello Sharpay." Chad said, and casually leaned himself against the locker next to hers. Even if he had done his best yesterday to figure all this mess out, and actually make things alright between Troy and Sharpay, he still wouldn't let Sharpay breaking Zeke's heart out of the way. He had to give her a little reminder – just a little – that if she ever cheated on one of his friends again, he would kill her. And if he could get a name out of the guy she had slept with, it'd be an awful lot of help, when he wanted to beat him up.

Sharpay closed her locker and went to walk away, but before she got that far Chad had grabbed her wrist between his fingers, "Do you mind?" she asked him, and turned around to give him a glare.

"Don't go away so fast princess." Chad said, and let her wrist fall, "I just need to have a chat with you. No need to be scared. I was just wondering who the crap is better than Zeke, since you dumped him?"

"No one's better than Zeke, he's an amazing guy." Sharpay said, and again turned to move. But she still didn't have a chance to leave, because he once again held on to her wrist, "Chad?" she whined, not even bothered to look at him this time.

Chad ignored her, "If he's such an amazing guy, then why did you cheat on him, Sharpay?" he asked her, and forced her to look at him, by placing two fingers, on each side of her chin, and turning her head, "Why did you break his heart? He loves you so much Sharpay, and you still went on and hurt him."

Sharpay took in a deep breath and forced herself to look Chad in the eyes, "I never wanted to hurt Zeke." She told him, "I wish I hadn't. But I can't just go on pretending either! You know, Chad… I wanted to tell him the truth. I couldn't live with that lie. So if you'd please just mind your own business; this doesn't concern you."

"What concerns Zeke, concerns me too." Chad reminded her, and let go of her, "But you're Troy's friend… And I can't hurt you; he'd kill me. And…" Chad paused to shoot her a soft smile, "I care for you too Sharpay. It's just hard seeing Zeke like this."

"I have a feeling he'll get over it." Sharpay promised Chad. She really hoped Zeke would. She wouldn't be able to bare seeing him sad because of her, "Everybody does eventually."

Chad gave her a small nod and took a step away from her, "Fine then."

Sharpay gave him one last glance before she turned around to get to homeroom. She passed Gabriella, Zeke and Troy on the way, and it was very obvious they had been listening to the entire conversation. Zeke gave her an odd glance. His eyes were filled with so many emotions; she couldn't even tell love from hate. Gabriella looked at her rather weirdly. She had an arm on Troy's, as if to keep him in place, while Troy looked really pissed.

Sharpay almost stopped to say something; her speed had slowed way down, but before she stopped completely, she got other thoughts. She sped up again and turned her head away. Troy watched her leave, and eventually jerked his hands out of Gabriella's grip.

"Damn." He mumbled, and let out a deep huff, "I really thought Chad was going to rip her head off. I know she hasn't been the best friend lately, but I do not want a best friend without a head."

Zeke chuckled lowly, "I really don't want to tell people that my ex-girlfriend is headless."

Gabriella patted his arm lightly, "Are you okay?" she asked him, concern written all over her face, "I haven't really asked you. Are you alright with the whole 'ex' thing?"

Zeke bit his lip, and looked thoughtful for a couple of seconds. Troy held his breath – he wanted to hear this. Was Zeke over Sharpay already? Was he okay with all this? If he was, there was a better chance for them to be friends when Troy got Sharpay. Because he _would_ get her. There was no doubt about that. He had to have her, so he would eventually.

"Oddly," Zeke started, and leaned himself against the wall, still that thoughtful look edged across his face, "I'm okay with it. I really am. I mean… I'm hurt. And I miss her so much already. But – I think I'll be alright. I have to."

"I'm so proud of you Zeke!" Gabriella squealed and wrapped him in a big hug. He hugged her back and chuckled into her hair, "You're so great about all this…" she told him, when she pulled back, "And you'll be okay when she starts dating other people again?" she gave Troy a sideway glance, that certain look in her eyes.

Troy resisted the temptation to roll his eyes at her or tell her off, because it wouldn't look great in front of Zeke. And he was sort of interested in knowing this as well.

Zeke shrugged, "I'm not sure." He said, a crooked smile on his face, "I mean… If it's some dude, then fine… But if she started going out with one of my friends, I'm not really sure it'd be alright with me. I can't decide that, I know, but still…"

Troy swallowed loudly, and prayed that Zeke hadn't heard him. Gabriella looked frozen as well, eyes wide. She then mustered a smile in Zeke's direction and patted his arm again, "But I'm happy you're alright after the break-up."

"I dunno," Zeke said, and Troy could tell something was about to be revealed now, "I guess I sorta saw it coming for some time…"

"Saw it coming?" Troy questioned, as he crossed his arms in front of himself, "She wasn't falling for someone else, was she?"

"No." Zeke confirmed and shook his head steadily, "No, no, she… She just told me, a couple of times, that she wasn't sure what she was feeling for me. That she was confused about everything, and we even had a row about it. I guess by telling her it was okay, and that I understood, I was just preventing the unavoidable." He swallowed hard, "She wasn't feeling for me like I was feeling for her. I don't think she ever has."

Troy hang on to every word Zeke was saying. Sharpay really had been having doubts about her relationship with Zeke. He had known that from several different people. And Zeke had known in too. It was just weird. He didn't understand what was going on in Sharpay's mind? He had no idea how he was going to make things work with her, to sort everything out, but he just knew he had to.

Sure, she had been a complete bitch to him yesterday. He hadn't even been able to recognize his wonderful Sharpay. Sure, she usually thought most about herself, but then again she didn't. She was so thoughtful of other people. But then at times something came up in her, and she was so selfish and self-centred. He couldn't figure out why he still wanted her so much, and why he still loved her like that, after she had treated him that way.

He just did.

--

Troy didn't really speak much with Sharpay for the rest of that week. He didn't bother to try. He knew it would end in disaster. He had to figure out a way to approach this – a way to approach her. He'd tried with the singing; that hadn't worked. He'd openly told her about his feelings; that hadn't worked either. He had to let her know how much he cared about her. But he had to find a great way to do it. To swoop her off her feet so she wouldn't say no to him. So she _couldn't_ say no to him. And he was going to take his time with it. He had a feeling she wouldn't run away; that she wouldn't move on right away. He had enough time to figure out something very good, and then set it up.

It was his plans to do for the weekend, but so far he hadn't really thought of anything. He had been hanging around the basketball team in his backyard all Saturday, so Sunday his mom had told him was for homework and family time. Not that he had any idea what 'family time' was supposed to be about, and that homework, well… He knew he had to get it done. But he also had plans about talking to Gabriella. She had mentioned something about stopping by later to tell him something, something very important.

Apparently it was news about Sharpay. Those two had been hanging a lot around each other all week. And she had said some stuff about him already the day they had their fight – Gabriella just hadn't remembered to tell him. But apparently it was very important for him to know this, so he'd have to convince his mom to let her come over after dinner.

Troy had been working all morning on a History assignment, and he was proud to say it was done. He kicked back in his chair and could finally relax. Now that that was out of the way he'd watch a bit TV before doing Math. He hated the weekends. It was supposed to be nice and relaxing, but because he pushed his homework in front of him all week, he ended up doing it all there. It was not fun at all.

He got out of the chair and jumped onto the bed, quickly turning on the TV. There was still cartoons on, and that was just fine by him. He hugged his pillow closer to his body, and was for a second taken aback by the smell that was all Sharpay. He hadn't really cleaned his sheets since that night, but he hadn't believed her scent would last this long. But then again, she always used to be there, and it always had lasted.

He smiled to himself, when a funny memory of him and Sharpay came to him. It was from a couple years ago. Perhaps they had been thirteen or something… But it was such a sweet memory… He chuckled and closed his eyes to remember.

_"So, what now?" Troy questioned, as Sharpay dropped four new CDs into her bag. He often wondered why she needed all that music. No one could possibly be able to listen to it all. And it had taken her forever to choose them too! He didn't think he'd be able stand it, if she had more stuff to look at. So far, it had been a really exhausting day at the mall, and it was only one o'clock. _

_Sharpay looked at her feet for a second, as she played with the toe of her ballerina shoes, "Uhm…" she said, and then locked eyes with him, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "I actually, uhm… I have one more thing I really need to look at. It's important." _

_Troy groaned on the inside, but didn't say it out loud, "It's not clothes, is it?" he asked her then. _

_She blushed a deep red, and he was really confused about it. What could she possibly have to look at, that would be embarrassing? "It's uh… Not clothes, really." She told him, and locked eyes with him. Her brown pools were filled with excitement, "I have to…" she took a step closer to him, and whispered the next part in his ear, "…I need to buy my first bra…"_

_Troy awkwardly took a step back, eyes wide. Had he just heard correctly? Was she going to buy a… a bra? He briefly glanced down to her chest. He knew about things changing and stuff. He had noticed how her chest had been not so flat during summer when they went swimming in her pool. And it had changed gradually. It had been fast. Looking at pictures from the start of summer, and to how she looked now… There was a very noticeable difference. _

_Sharpay cleared her throat and Troy's eyes moved to hers again, and this time he was the one blushing. "Sorry…" he mumbled, and offered her a sweet smile. Now, however, he had to go with her, just to make sure she wasn't angry with him (not that he thought she would be). He just wanted to be a gentleman, "So?" he said, "Bras it is then?" _

_She nodded and moved in to hug him; placing an arm around his middle. He placed one around her shoulder, while she led them to one of the shops her mother had told her would probably hold what she was searching for. She had yesterday, very seriously, called up her mother to tell her she really needed a bra. Viola had of course been thrilled to hear how her girl was growing, and she suggested they go together when she got home. But Sharpay hadn't been able to wait that long. There was two months until, and things were seriously… moving. _

_Troy held onto all their bags (mostly Sharpay's) while Sharpay walked between all the underwear. He felt seriously out of place in here. The sales woman was giving him odd stares, so he just smiled charmingly at her, and kept an eye on Sharpay. Right now she was holding out a white bra between her fingers. She kept pulling at it, as if to see how far it could go. Troy was a bit confused about it all, but he kept his mouth shut. _

_A couple of minutes later Sharpay squealed and clapped her hands. He made his way over, and almost lost his jaw when he saw the pile of bras she had in her arms. "Are you – are you going to try on all that?" he asked her, and eyed a pink one with butterflies. _

"_Yup!" she happily said, and beamed like never before, "Mom told me I had to find the perfect one. She said I had to by a couple to last me until she got home, and then we'd go together again. I'm gonna go in right now. You're coming with me, right? You can stand right outside the dressing room and wait for me, right?" _

"_Of course…" Troy said. He'd do anything for her when she smiled at him like that. And he knew it. He was a sucker for those smiles and her big, brown eyes. He always had been. So he ended up following her to the dressing room, where an older woman gave him a weird glance and hurried out of there. Sharpay got into a dressing room, and he placed their bags on the floor, so he could relax his arms for a bit, and leaned against a wall. "Tell me if you need any help!" he joked. _

_Sharpay scoffed from inside the dressing room, "Haha!" she sarcastically said. "You're so funny, Troy." There was a brief silence between them, where he could hear Sharpay ruffling around, until she added, "What do you think I should try on first? A purple one with lace or a simple white one?" _

"_Just pick one." He said, "It doesn't really matter if you're going to try them both on anyways, now does it?" _

_He could almost hear her roll her eyes, "Yeah, yeah. You have great logic, Troysie." _

_He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He had no idea how the two of them could even be so great friends. They were so different, and he honestly believed, that hadn't their family been friends forever, he wouldn't have looked her way once. She was so-so… so princess-y and so pink. She was overly excited about everything and she was almost never calm. _

_But he loved that about her now, because she was his best friend. She was amazing, and he honestly wouldn't know what to do without her. Chad often asked him how he could be best friends with a girl, and Troy never really had an answer. All he could say was just that… 'It doesn't matter if you're a boy and a girl. When everything just clicks and you have fun, it's not really important'. He believed those words were pretty wise for a thirteen-year-old boy. _

"_Could we go get some lunch after this?" he asked Sharpay, and annoyingly swept a foot beneath the door, to tease her. _

_She kicked him, "Yes, Troy-boy, I'm hungry too." She said, after he had taken his food back. "And I actually think we can go soon, because…" there was a long pause, and Troy couldn't wait to hear the end of that sentence, "Because I think I've found the perfect one. I'll just take more of this one, in – in different colours!" _

_Troy was curious, "Okay, which one did you choose?" he asked her, and stood in front of the door, to see if he could peak in through the small hole in it. But he was just too short. _

"_You wanna know?" she questioned him, and she had a teasing tone in her voice. _

"_Yes, please?" he told her. He was now very excited. _

"_Fine," she told him, and before he knew what had happened, the door to the dressing room was open, "you take a look." _

_His eyes popped wide open. Sharpay stood before him in her white skirt and ballerina shoes. But on the upper part of her body she was only wearing a white bra, with small pictures on it. He couldn't make out what they were, not that he really thought much about it. His eyes were fixed on the small swell of her breasts, even if he tried not to focus on it like that. _

_But she looked so good! And as a thirteen-year-old boy, who had just started to notice girls in a different way, and was now being hit in the face with it by his best friend, he had to say, she was looked good. But it was also very wrong. Troy feared, right then and there, that this would somehow end up ruining their friendship in the future, because he had had this moment with her. _

"_What do you say?" she wanted to know, with a happy smile._

"_It's uhm… It's nice." He told her, and awkwardly cleared his throat, "It's very nice. But mhm… But why do you like that one?" he lamely asked. He had to ask her something, or he'd drive himself insane. _

"_It's snoopy!" she just told him, before she closed the door in his face. Troy had to swallow hard when he picked up their bags again. He was afraid that image would be stuck there for a veeeery long time. _

And it still was stuck, sixteen-year-old Troy Bolton had to admit. He could still remember it. Even if he was now older, and she was too. He also remember the feeling he got there. It was the first time he saw a girl in her underwear, and it just had to be Sharpay! He found it ironic that he, at such a young age, had predicted this moment important for their future relationship.

It was the beginning, really. He hadn't fallen in love with her there, of course. But he had been attracted to her while they grew older together. He had been close with her, seen her change in front of him, hugged her, kissed her and just been with her. But then when he went out with Gabriella, he was suddenly reminded of that day in the mall with Sharpay those years ago, and he realized what was happening. He was falling for her, and it was happening really fast.

It didn't matter that she was silly, and that she had always been his best friend. It didn't matter that they told each other all their secrets, and used to drool on each other when they were kids – she was _it_. She was beautiful and smart and… everything he really wanted. Of course Gabriella was those things too, but she wasn't Sharpay. Gabriella was just an amazing friend for him to have, while Sharpay was the woman… She was the woman he could easily see himself spend his life with, even at such a young age.

Troy turned off his TV and leaned his head against the wall, eyes closed. He knew he had to work things out with Sharpay. He had already confirmed that to himself once, of course, but it was important. He knew he wouldn't be able to live without her friendship, without her love. She was so important to him, and a life without her was hard to image. That was why he'd have to figure out a way to make things right. It was just tough.

He broke out of his thoughts when the door to his room opened, and his mother's head came into his room, "Troy?" she questioned him, and when he turned his head, she continued, "Have you done your History paper?"

"Yeah." He said, and nodded.

"Okay," she smiled and then searched for her words. She scratched her cheek, before saying, "I really need to speak with you Troy. Just the two of us. We have to have a talk. It's important. I've made some vanilla cookies, so come on down, alright?"

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute, mom." He told her.

She nodded and winked shortly at him, before she closed the door and let him be. Troy didn't know what she wanted, but he knew he was going to find out in a minute or two. He just hoped it wasn't something horrible, but something good.

--

"So." Lucy said, and glanced at her only son.

"So." Troy repeated. He grabbed a cookie from the plate between them, and broke it in two, before eating one of the halves. "What did you want to talk about?" he mumbled, mouth still full.

Lucy shook her head at him, "You, of course." She said, and was happy to see him swallow, "And Sharpay too." She added, with a smile.

Troy stopped when the other half of the cookie was half-way to his mouth, "Shar- mhm, Sharpay?" he questioned her, a confused look edged across his face, "Why do you need to talk about us?"

"Because you guys are having troubles." Lucy observed. Like Troy hadn't realized that himself? He was one of the guys! "Your friendship has not been the same since you slept together. And I… I will not lie, Troy. It has always been my dream to have Sharpay be your wife. It was always Viola's dream too. And I can't stand to see you this upset. You're not happy, Troy, I can see it. She makes you happy, and we have to fix that."

"Honestly mom!" Troy said, and looked above his shoulder to see if anyone was listening in, "I have it under control. I'm working on it. I went to talk to her the other day…"

Lucy arched an eyebrow, "And how did that go?"

"Well, she got mad at me, but…" Troy gave his mother a look; begged her not to say anything right now, "I'm really working on it. Gabriella is helping me. For some reason, Sharpay blames this all on me, and I have to find a way for her to forgive me. I don't understand really, how this can be all _my_ fault, but still…"

"She's a girl, Troy." Lucy said, stating the obvious, "Women tend to blame stuff on guys. Especially guys they love. I always blame your father, even when I know I'm the one who's done wrong. Girls do this stuff – especially teenage girls. Most girls do, and Sharpay's no exception. She blames this on you because she doesn't want to be the one at fault and finds it easier if you find a solution to the problem.

"But that's-"

"That's crazy, I know." Lucy said, and took a cookie, "I still doesn't change this situation. Sharpay's difficult. She always has been. But she's also sweet and caring, and… And she loves you _so much_. And we love her, Troy. All of us. You need to fix this. For all our sakes, but mostly for your own and Sharpay's. You guys have been best friends for so long."

Troy sat up straighter. He was a bit offended by this. Why didn't she have faith enough in him, to let him sort this out on his own? "Don't you think I know that, mom?" he asked her, voice edgy, "I know mom. I miss her, and I intend to make things right between us. It's just not only me, alright? Sharpay's being so difficult. She has broken up with Zeke now, but she still won't speak to him. She's complicated, but I'm really trying."

"That's really all I'm asking Troy." Lucy said, and reached a hand across the table, to hug his tight, "I want things to be okay between you two. You're not happy, and I want you to be happy. So make things alright between you, okay?"

Troy was really uncomfortable, but he let his mother hug his hand tightly. He had no idea she actually went around and thought a lot about him and Sharpay. He always figured she let them mind their own business. But apparently she was really affected by this – maybe his sisters were too? Maybe everyone was really worked up about this?

Now, more than ever, Troy wished he could make a miracle and just have Sharpay forgive him.

--

Gabriella got there later on. She didn't have time to stay for too long, she told him, as they went into his room and shut the door. She just _had_ to let him know this. Troy was really curious to find out what it could be, but also very nervous. What could be up with Sharpay? Hopefully it was something good, like… maybe she was finally seeing reason, or something.

Gabriella sat down on his bed, "I'll make this as short as possible, Troy. Mom told me I couldn't go out, so I snuck out."

Troy almost lost his jaw, "_You_ snuck out?" he asked. That was unbelievable. The Gabriella he dated would never sneak out. But he guessed that everyone change. Maybe him and Sharpay weren't the only ones growing up. This was a Gabriella he actually enjoyed being with. She had so much fire in her after she got involved in his and Sharpay's crazy love-lives.

"Is that so hard to believe?" she asked him, face hard.

"No." he quickly said, and shook his head. He didn't want to upset her, by calling her boring or something, "No, of course not."

Then she giggled, "Yeah, I can't believe it either." She said, before she got serious, and Troy relaxed, "Troy… You know I've spent a lot of time with Sharpay lately. _A lot_, a lot. And that's okay. She's a cool person. But she also tells me stuff. Like, she hasn't actually told me what happened between you two yet, and sometimes she says things that'd make me question her if I hadn't known from you. I think she's really confused. I think that maybe _she_ thinks she has told me, so it's easier this way."

"Well, that's great then…" Troy whispered. He had no idea where she was going with this, but he knew that it had to be important. Gabriella would never rant off about this if it didn't lead to anything. She only ranted off about Math and Science.

"Yes." Gabriella said, and nodded. She thought to herself for a few seconds, a pouty look on her face. Then she turned to him again and looked him in the eyes; seriously, "Actually, this she told me already the day you guys fought. She told me that… she told me that she likes you. A lot. But that she doesn't _want_ to like you."

Troy's hope sank before he even really got it. What the _hell_ did she mean by that? "What?" he questioned, confusion in his blue orbs, "She doesn't _want _to like me?"

Gabriella shook her head, "That was her words. Exactly. She doesn't want to like you. I think it's because it messes things up even more. She's probably really confused about this all. And yeah… She's still getting better. She's pretty much over the break-up with Zeke, and she's smiling more. I think maybe she's opening up to the idea of you two again – to the idea of forgiving you. I mean, she keeps hinting it. I just think that maybe she needs the last push."

Now Troy's hope was back. She was getting closer to forgiving him. That was like, a dream come true. Maybe things weren't going to be as hard as he thought, "A push? Do you think I need to crawl onto her balcony and sing or do I have to buy her flowers? What do I do?"

"I _don't_ know." Gabriella said, voice hard, "But I think it's very important that you don't mess this up. We'll have to make a clear plan before you do _anything_. So keep as much away from her as possible until I've figured something out, okay?"

"Okay." Troy sighed. It wasn't like he saw a lot of her anyway. He figured she still wanted to kill him, so he hadn't really been bothered to try. He believed she wanted to be left alone for a bit.

"And then I want to apologise for sticking with Sharpay that day too." Gabriella said, and reached a hand out, to take his, "I had a feeling she might have needed me more than you did. And I thought you found it okay, because _you know_ I just wanted to help you."

"It's alright Gabriella." Troy said, and chuckled a bit, "I know it must be hard for you to have to choose."

She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the cheek, before she stood up, "I gotta get home again before my mom realizes I'm gone. I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?"

"Yeah," he said, and offered her a small smile, "and thanks for everything, Gabriella. You're the best."

She smiled at him too, and blew a kiss before she was out of there. Troy leaned back in his bed with a huge sigh. He couldn't believe how much this talk had made him happier. It actually seemed possible now to make everything alright between him and Sharpay. He just hoped Gabriella would get a bright idea soon. The faster he made up with Sharpay, the better everything would be.

* * *

_Yes, I know, I know. We didn't get much further in his chapter. But! I have the next chapter planned to be a more drama-filled one, unless I suddenly change my mind. I have also counted the chapters to go, and unless something happens, I'm thinking about eight to ten chapters. But then again, you never know with me. I hope that at least this story will be over before I reach forty chapters._

_I hope you enjoyed this chapter, even if it wasn't that eventful. I had that talk between Chad and Sharpay, and also some interaction between Lucy and Troy. The talk with Troy and Gabriella is rather important, but you have probably already figured that by reading it. _

_I hope to get next chapter up within a week, but I'm not totally sure. During this vacation, I have been able to write a lot, but mostly on those one-shots I have promised people. Two of them aren't posted yet, and I still have one to go, but I hope to be able to write next chapter of this quickly. _

_And sorry for any mistakes. I really didn't proof read this chapter enough. _

_Please leave me a review. They keep me going! _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own HSM. _


	29. Chapter Twenty Nine

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

**No, Not ZEKE!**

Troy couldn't help it. He was sitting in History class, elbow popped on table, head on hand. His head was slightly to the side; he couldn't see the blackboard. However, he did have a nice view of Sharpay. Her blonde hair was falling down her shoulders. It was tugged in a sideways ponytail. She was dressed in red leggings, a black, sorta long button-up shirt, and black, pointy boots. One of her legs was draped over the other one, and she was sitting much like him, doodling in her fluffy notebook, Gabriella next to her, furiously taking notes.

Sharpay looked so amazing. Troy couldn't help but look at her. She had a soft smile on her face, and the way she kept it on, let him know that she was either doodling or, perhaps, writing something funny of amazing in that notebook of hers. She seemed pretty much lost in thought, just like him.

He let his eyes move over her again, taking in every inch that was Sharpay. He could study her forever. He always used to do that before. Sometimes when they were just lying in either of their beds, watching TV or just talking, he'd look at her. She was herself, and she was so stunningly beautiful that she just got to him. And it wasn't beautiful in that foxy kinda way – she was so natural. Sure, she wore make-up and she did get her hair dyed, but she was still so natural to look at.

He smiled to himself when he remembered seeing her with the new hair for the first time. He had been really confused for a second, until he realized that it, in fact, was his best friend standing in the door. But he had also thought 'Gosh, she's so beautiful' and perhaps, seeing her like that for the first time, really did it. It hit him like a ton of bricks and he fell for her. Not that he hadn't before. It just hit him so hard that moment.

She was perfect.

_Troy rang the doorbell for the third time, while he kept on knocking on the white front door. He didn't have the patience to wait. He was too excited to see her. He had known for a long time that she was going to get her hair done. She had mentioned perhaps another colour, and then, fifteen minutes ago he had received a text message from her, telling him to get right on over there, because she had something to show him._

_Now, he might not be the smartest 13-year-old boy out there, but he had figured out it was something with her hair. So he had quickly thrown on some clothes, and there he was; waiting for her to open._

_He couldn't really have prepared himself for what was to come. She blew him away when she opened that door. He didn't know what he had been expecting, but he hadn't expected to find his former brunette, curly-haired best friend standing there; hair straight and every strand blonde. Her brown eyes were smiling at him, filled with joy, and he tried to gather up his jaw. _

"_Sharpay?" he questioned, and stepped into the huge mansion, not taking his eyes away from her. The only thing going through his mind was 'wauw' and 'Gosh, she's so beautiful'. _

"_Yeah?" she asked him, and closed the door behind them. She leaned up against it, that happy smile never leaving her face. He could clearly see that she was thrilled about the outcome of her hairdresser's appointment, and he didn't disagree. "You like it?" she asked. Her voice was hopeful, and he knew how much it meant to her that he liked it. _

_Troy didn't know how to reply. He swallowed hard and reached a hand out to touch the blonde hair. He was amazed by it all. "Yeah," he whispered, and locked eyes with her, "yeah, I do. I love it." _

_Her smile got even huger and she enveloped him in a bear-hug, "I'm so glad!" she squealed, and pulled back, kissing his cheek, "If you didn't like it, I don't know what I would have done!"_

"_No worries." He replied and let his eyes wander from her hair again and down her slender body. It gave a good all-in-all impression of her. She looked amazing. _

_She gave him a soft kick in the shin, "I see you're wearing fluffy socks?" she questioned him, in that certain angel voice. _

"_Yeah?" he asked her. He could feel his blue eyes grow big, when they locked with hers again, "Is… is that important?" _

_She smiled funnily and bent her head down, to her own feet. She was wearing fluffy socks too. More importantly – those pink fluffy socks. She looked up at him again, "See if you can catch me!" she squealed, before she brushed past him and hurried down the long hall. _

_Troy quickly turned around and followed her. She was a good deal ahead of him, but he was going to catch up with her. She slid around the corner, to get into their dining room, and almost flew into the wall, because she was in too much speed, and the socks were too fluffy. She giggled loudly, as he followed her, and turned her head to see him almost collide with the wall too. _

_She scooted around another corner and laughed. He followed her, and managed to avoid Ryan, who was leaving the TV room, "Sorry Ry!" he breathed, and heard Sharpay's girly giggle, as she turned her head to watch him again. He decided that enough was enough, and picked up speed – he was going to catch her! _

_She squealed again, when she grabbed a door to keep herself from falling, and actually tried to make it through, but she slipped over, and ended up on the wooden floor in the music room. Troy was right in suit, and since he just turned a corner, he tried to do pretty much the same as she had, and ended up right on top of her. _

"_Caught ya'!" he laughed, and started down at her, their eyes locked. _

"_Dang!" she pouted, but mere seconds later, they both broke into a full laugh._

Troy sighed at the memory. They had loved to chase each other around when they were wearing fluffy socks. They used to do it all the time when they were younger, but it was awhile since they had last done it. Of course with the fight and everything, it was understandable. But when he got on her good side again, the first thing he wanted was to chase after her through her huge house.

"Troy!?"

He looked up and found Gabriella standing next to him. The classroom was almost empty. A few people were getting up to leave, which left the two of them. He swallowed hard, and stuffed his pencil case into his backpack and stood up.

"Were you not listening?" Gabriella asked him, as she crossed her arms across her chest. She had her book bag slung across her shoulder and was giving him an odd look.

"No." he murmured and grabbed his bag.

"I can't believe you, Troy!" Gabriella said, and rolled her eyes, as they made their way out of the classroom, "One thing is that you don't listen in class, I mean, I sorta can't blame you, 'cuz it's really boring, but that you don't listen to me is just…" she shook her head at him, "And I was even trying to tell you something about Sharpay of all people!"

This caught Troy's attention. Everything about Sharpay had to be interesting. No matter what it was, he wanted to know. And maybe it was even good news. Maybe Gabriella had figured out a way for him to give Sharpay that last push. His face lit up, and he scooped in front of Gabriella, which almost caused her to crash into him, "Sharpay?"

She rolled her eyes at him again, like it was no big deal, "Yes, Sharpay Troy, that's the name of the girl you're pathetically in love with. Don't wear it out."

He pushed her teasingly on the shoulder, "Just tell me, alright? Have you found a way for Sharpay to get that _last push_?" he deliberately changed his voice to a deep one, when he said the last two words, just to annoy her. He recently found out that that was so much more fun when she wasn't your girlfriend.

"No." she said, quickly so he wouldn't get his hope up. She offered him a small smile, and turned him around with a hand on each of his shoulders, and gave him a push, to get him to start walking; she let go of his arms, and quickly moved to walk beside him, "But!" she said and giggled, "She did write your name all over her 'history' notes," she snorted, "more like Troy notes."

Troy couldn't keep himself from smiling.

"Did you know she wrote a song about you?" Gabriella then casually asked him. Troy was about to stop again to ask her what was up with that, but she grabbed his arm before he managed to do so, "Keep on walking…" she told him, and let go.

"What song?" Troy asked, as he tried to keep up with her pace. For someone so small and with such short legs, she sure did walk fast.

"A song." Gabriella simply said, as she tried to annoy him. She stopped as they had reached her locker, and opened it get her history books into it. She closed it again, and turned to look at him with a teasing smile, "And enough about songs. Wanna go to lunch?"

"Stop teasing me!" Troy said, and placed a hand on each side of her body, to keep her trapped, "You're staying there until you tell me what's up! A song? What's with that?"

"A song." Gabriella smirked, repeating her former statement, as if it was no big deal, "Just… well, it wasn't as much as a song, as it was a poem. Sharpay wrote it about you. And someone very smart, you can probably guess who," she pointed at herself, "_moi_… told her she should make it into a song, and she did. Isn't that awesome?"

"What song?" Troy questioned, still not letting her out of the trap he had her in.

"Just a song." Gabriella replied, shrugging, "It was something about a poem you guys had to write for class or something, and then you didn't get the hint, and she was all crushed, and…"

"Oh, wait a minute!" Troy said, and pushed himself away from the lockers, leaving Gabriella free, "A poem? I think I remember that, I think it was…" he cut himself off, when he realized that Gabriella was moving down the hall, away from him, "Hey Gabriella!" he yelled and ran to catch up with her, "It was just! – a poem!" he paused and cursed, "Dang! …did we have any homework to do in History?!"

**--ooo--**

Now, Troy knew he had promised Gabriella not to talk to Sharpay before they had decided on something, but he just couldn't help himself. That song/poem had been on his mind since Monday. That was _two days ago_. He was going insane. Gabriella wasn't much of a help. She kept on teasing and annoying him just so she wouldn't have to face the awkward truth; she simply couldn't figure out a way to get it done.

He had to talk to Sharpay. He just had to. There was no way he could actually go through more time like this. More days. He had to get it out of his head. He knew it was for the best to let her make the first move, or give her that dang push, but he couldn't wait for that. He knew he was impatient, but that was just it. No more waiting.

So after school that Wednesday, he determinedly made his way across the two lawns and knocked on the door. He was pretty much scared as to what she was going to do to him, but he had to get this over with. They couldn't keep on fighting like this. He had to make up with her or he'd really lose his mind.

The door opened to reveal Richard Evans. He smiled a huge smile when he saw Troy stand there, "Troy son!" he said, and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them, "So great to see you here, son! What, here to see Sharpay?" he had a suggestive grin on his face, and Troy wondered if he'd really tease him like that if he knew what he had done to his daughter.

"Yeah…" Troy said and offered him a smile. He had known Richard Evans all his life, but he was still so intimidated by him. And also, he never really was good with being alone with either of Sharpay's parents. It was so uncomfortable for him. "Is she upstairs?" he asked, and made a go for the staircase.

"Yes." Richard said, and padded him on the shoulder, "Go on up – you know where it is."

Troy swallowed loudly and hurried up the staircase, eager to leave the older man behind. It was just way too awkward to be having a conversation with him. Especially one that was about Sharpay. He stopped in front of her room door and drew in a deep breath. He had to take it calmly and not yell at her or anything. He just had to know what was up with that song, and where they were. He couldn't wait much longer.

He knocked on her room door and immediately a faint 'come in' was heard, so he pushed the doorknob down and stepped inside. Her eyes immediately fixed on him and he felt his heart stop. Well, it didn't literally stop, but he felt very uncomfortable.

"What are you doing here, Troy?" she asked him, as her eyes narrowed down to two small shapes. She didn't look too happy to see him there, and he guessed he couldn't blame her. The last time they spoke it had ended in disaster. That was partly his fault because he had called her selfish and low, but he had meant it. He really did love her, there was no doubt about that, but nobody's perfect, so she isn't. He loved her though, despite all that. But maybe she had been really taken aback by the fact that he would say those things to her. She probably hadn't been expecting it. And the only thing he hadn't said was that… that he loved her through it all. And he was going to do that right now.

"I'm here to say something to you." he said. He didn't dare move closer to her. She was sitting on her bed, and he was standing by the door, so that was a good enough distance.

"Again?" she asked him, her voice hard. She stood up from her bed, and crossed her arms across her chest, as if to protect herself from whatever he might fire her way, "I think you said enough the last time you were here Troy."

Sharpay wouldn't actually admit this, but after Gabriella had left that day, she had been thinking. She had tried her best to see things from Troy's point of view. She realized she might have been a bit hard on him, and she took his accusations into consideration. Maybe she was selfish, but she always had been. And usually he didn't seem to have a problem with that, so maybe he was just pretty much fed up with her and her Queen of the World personality. That didn't mean she would just forgive him for yelling it in her face, and she definitely wouldn't forgive him before she felt ready. No one should do that, and even if she was pretty much over the whole party-thing, she still needed space, she needed time to think. Just as she had told Gabriella.

"I know, Sharpay." Troy said, and swallowed hard, "I know what I said was cruel, and how I said it was wrong, but I… I meant every word. I was angry with you, I still am, but I also just want everything to be okay between us. Please tell me it can."

"It can be okay, Troy." Sharpay said, and he could read it in her eyes, that she actually meant it.

He smiled, "It can?"

"Yeah." She said, and offered him a smile too, "I've been doing some thinking… I'm forgiving you for everything you said that day, because I probably deserved more than what you said, but I just… I need space." She paused and shrugged her shoulders, "I hope you can give me that space. I really need it."

Troy sighed. He had really hoped it would work out from now on, "But space? What do you mean? I just… I want to be with you, we're wasting so much time, Sharpay."

She looked confused, "I can't be with you, when I haven't totally made up my mind yet, Troy." She said, "You have to respect that. I don't know how long it will be, but I really, really like you… I do. But I need this."

"What if I told you that I don't wanna wait?" Troy asked her, face hard. He had to know this. What would she really do, if he told her that? Would she jump into his arms immediately or would she let him go?

"I can't do something I'm not ready for, Troy." She said, and he could tell she was worried now, that she was dreading he would tell her that, "So even if it'd pain me to let you go, I'd have to. I'm not ready yet. I can feel…I can feel something's wrong. I'm not sure what it is, but I can feel it."

"What do you take me for Sharpay?" Troy asked her. He had no intensions of telling her he couldn't wait, for he'd wait forever for her, but this was just getting frustrating, "I'm actually human here, I have feelings. Why's it so hard to make this decision?"

"_Because_!" she said, and let her eyes fall slightly to the ground, "Because I'm not sure if this can work out, and I don't wanna lose you."

"Why wouldn't it work out, Sharpay?" he asked her. This he was curious of. Sometimes, he just didn't know what went on inside that pretty heads of hers. And also – why didn't she seem to have a problem with this before? The first time she was in love with him… had she wanted to lose him there?

She bit her lip, "A lot of relationships don't. I don't want to risk you, so I need to make sure this is what I want. I don't want my heart to only be half in it, like it was with Zeke. You deserve more than that. And it's frustrating for me. So please, please give me my space."

He felt flattered that she cared so much about him, but it still hurt. He had thought she liked him. If she didn't know by now, then maybe she didn't like him _at all_, "Fine." He said, and took a step backwards, "If you're not sure yet, then maybe this decision isn't that tough at all." He paused, with a hand on the doorknob, "I just want you to know, Sharpay, that you're not the only one hurting here. Everyone's affected by this… and you're hurting me." he finished, in a whisper.

Before Sharpay managed to open her mouth to reply to that statement, Troy was out of there. She could hear him rush down the stairs and smack the front door behind him, and she just stood there; mouth open. She had plenty of things she wanted to say to him right now, but he had just left.

And instead of running after him, which would probably have been better for _everyone_, she did what she always did. She felt bad for herself, and therefore picked up her cell phone quickly dialling Gabriella's number. The other girl didn't even have time to answer, before Sharpay had said, "Gabriella? Could you come on over, please?"

**--ooo--**

Gabriella was furious. She couldn't believe Sharpay. The girl had barely asked her to come, more liked demanded her. And Gabriella had of course known this had something to do with Troy. She had called him and he had explained everything. And she was furious now. With Sharpay. She couldn't believe that girl. Why did she keep playing this game? She was hurting so many people, why wouldn't she just make up her mind?

Gabriella had been entirely on Sharpay's side in the beginning of this, when she was dragged into it, but now she was not anymore. She supported Troy the whole way. After making friends with him, and learning that friendship with the golden boy was much easier that being his girlfriend, she actually supported him. She felt bad for him, and she wished for this pain to end. She wanted him to be happy, and she knew that Sharpay was the person to make him happy.

She didn't even bother knocking on the door to the huge mansion, she just stomped inside and ignored Mr. Evans' weird look. She hadn't even bothered to take off her shoes. She angrily went up the stairs and burst into Sharpay's room, where the blonde was sitting on her bed, hugging a fluffy pillow to her chest.

"Gabriella!" she said and sniffed.

She had been crying. Gabriella couldn't believe it. She had actually been crying, and she was the one who kept hurting Troy! Why would _she_ be crying!? "Alright Sharpay," Gabriella sad and pulled her friend to her feet, which caused her to lose the pillow to the floor, "I've just about had it with you and your constant whining and self-pity."

Sharpay looked really confused and opened her mouth to speak, but Gabriella didn't let her.

"No, don't get defensive." She said. Her stare was hard and her eyes were almost shooting flashes, "I've had it with you now! I've been a good friend, I've listened to you God knows how many times. I've seen you cry, I've seen you yell and I've held you for hours. I even had a weird conversation with your mom about Ashlee-" she cut herself off, when she realized that she was getting off track, "-but there's one thing I won't take, Sharpay! That's you hurting Troy! Do you have any idea of how crushed he is? You've trampled over so many people! You're just… _Urgh, I don't even know what you are_!"

Sharpay didn't answer. She was frozen in place. Gabriella knew it was probably taking her by surprise. She knew she wasn't one to yell or get angry easily, so to tick her off like this, was pretty hard. And Sharpay was shocked to have done that.

"He just wants to make you happy, Sharpay. But you don't care. You only care for yourself." She continued, "Sure, I understood you in the beginning – yes, he took advantage of you when you were drunk, and he shouldn't have done that. Point is, you were both drinking, which is wrong, so you're both at fault. And he has done nothing but try to make it up to you, but you're little Princess Sharpay sitting in your huge castle, not caring about anyone. And you're hurting people here. You cheated on your boyfriend; a perfectly sweet, caring guy, and you…"

Gabriella stopped and took a breather, trying not to let her own feelings for Zeke play a part in the matter here, though it was hard, "…and you don't care about the close friendship your families have. I bet everyone's missing you like crazy. You used to hang out with Troy _all the time_, and what now? You haven't spoken to Mrs. Bolton for almost a month! What's the matter with you? Everything is not about you, so get over yourself!"

Sharpay seemed to have gotten her voice back now, "But Troy's the one who-"

"Sure, no doubt Troy's the one who." Gabriella said, continuing her previous rant, "The one who what, though? The one who loves you more than anything? The one who'll do anything for you? The one who has had to suffer from your stubbornness and that fact that you're in denial? Is he the one who's so sad about everything going on? The one who just wants you guys to make up? The one who's so hurt because of you, Sharpay? Sure, if that was what you were going to say. Then yes, no doubt Troy's the one who."

Sharpay opened and closed her mouth a couple of times like a goldfish, not knowing what to say, so Gabriella quickly picked her speech up again, now almost done.

"And Sharpay…" she whispered, voice low and raw, "He was so sad. I called him on my way over here. I actually care about him, we're becoming close friends, and I won't see him this way. He was so sad. He was so hurt. He came over here, because he wanted to know about that song or the poem or whatever. He just wants you to let him love you."

"But I need my space!" she argued, voice hard and full of emotions. Seemed like she didn't exactly like being spoken to that way, and Gabriella should have known that.

"You and your fucking space!" Gabriella argued. And this was bad, because Gabriella never cursed, "You keep talking about it! When have you had enough?" she threw her arms in the air, before clutching her head, and then looking back up at Sharpay, "Why are you such a bitch? Are you on your period or something?" she breathed out, "No, you can't be on your period for one whole month. Maybe this is just who you are…"

She gave Sharpay one last glance and was out of there. Again, Sharpay was left, wanting to yell something at someone, who was running down the stairs. But this time, it was a whole other thing she wanted to say. She wanted to comment on everything Gabriella had said, and tell Gabriella that maybe she was right and maybe she should just apologise to Troy and make up with him.

But it was a whole other thing that crossed her mind right then and there, as she turned to look at herself in her full-length mirror. She had a curious look in her eyes as everything welled up inside her and she suddenly felt nauseous. She placed a hand on her stomach, as Gabriella's last question echoed through her head.

"Are you on your period or something?"

Sharpay closed her eyes tightly and calculated the weeks in her head. But before she got that far, her food really did want out, and she turned around and rushed into her huge bathroom.

**--ooo--**

The next morning Gabriella was sitting in homeroom, waiting for Sharpay to arrive. Sharpay had texted her last night, saying how sorry she was about everything, and that she had something important to tell her. Now Gabriella was curious about that, and she was happy that she hadn't ruined her friendship with Sharpay because she got so mad at her.

Troy was sitting next to her, really worried about Sharpay too. Gabriella had told him all about what happened, and now he really wanted to see if she was okay. And he sort of had a feeling that maybe before the day was over, he'd be the lucky boyfriend of Sharpay Evans. Or at least close to it.

Gabriella smiled softly at Zeke when he passed her to get to his seat, and he smiled right back. She tried to hide her blush, but Troy noticed this. He didn't comment on it though. Instead he grabbed Gabriella's cell phone to see if Sharpay had replied to the message Gabriella had sent her two minutes ago, asking why she wasn't there yet. There was no answer, though, so he dropped his head to the desk.

Gabriella grabbed her phone and texted her again.

_You're not mad at me, are you? ;b_

She sighed and hoped she wasn't pushing it. Sharpay hadn't seemed mad at her last night when they had texted back and forth, so it would be weird if she was now. Gabriella had a feeling that that wasn't it. And usually she could trust the feeling in the pit of her stomach. She knew something was up. Sharpay wouldn't skip school today after everything that happened yesterday night.

Just then Ryan came inside and tried to brush past them. However Troy's arm stopped him, and he looked questionably at them both. "What?" he asked.

"Why isn't Sharpay here?" Troy wanted to know, "Is she sick?"

Ryan shrugged, "She suddenly didn't feel like going. We were getting into the car, and she told me she felt bad, so I had to help her upstairs. She was in tears. I don't know, but I just rushed over here to make it on time."

Troy let Ryan go, and the male twin found his seat, while Gabriella grabbed her phone again, even if the bell just sounded, and Mrs. Darbus arrived. She just had to text Sharpay again. She didn't know what was up, but she had to write her something that'd cheer her up.

Gabriella smiled to herself and quickly typed a message in.

_HELLO?! Have you gotten killed, or did you found out that Zeke has gotten you pregnant?_

She smiled to Troy and gave him thumbs up, to let him know she had it under control. Mrs. Darbus was rambling about something to do with musicals, but Gabriella couldn't focus. She was waiting for that familiar vibration in her pocket. She had to know what was up with everything. And she knew Sharpay would answer to this message, even if she was sick, because it was funny – it'd cheer her up no matter what was wrong.

However, when she finally got a text back, with two minutes to spare of homeroom, she hadn't prepared herself for the answer. She held back her breath and swallowed hard. That just… couldn't be true.

Troy's head peeked up at this, "Is it Sharpay?" he whispered, keeping an eye on Darbus. He sounded hopeful and happy at the same time.

Gabriella shook her head and offered him a sad smile. "No, it's my mom." She whispered back, and made sure he was turned back around, before she checked the text again, to make sure she had understood it correctly, even if the message was pretty clear;

_No, not ZEKE!_

* * *

_So there you have it ;D Now, don't freak out on me now, for taking up ANOTHER plot-line. You have no idea where I'm going with this yet, so don't kill me. I'm keeping my promise here – under forty chapters, that's for sure. Probably much less, since I'm clear as to where I want to go with this now._

_And in this chapter, you read why I wanted Troy and Gabriella to become close friends again. Something had to tick Gabriella off, and with her being such a sweet character, I think Troy's one of the only things that can get her all worked up and yelling (think HSM2 by the pool), since she really cares about him._

_I'm sorry about the lack of updates, but I've been really busy with my AT project. It's been so hard, and when I finally took a break to get some writing done, and I had absolutely no inspiration. With that being said; it's my apology for this lousy chapter. It's rushed and it's not written very well, but I hope you survived reading it._

_Thanks for all the awesome reviews. Please keep them coming for the last chapters, otherwise, I might just not get through it :D_

_**Dedication; **My lovely Noukka. I love you so much, and I miss you like crazy. I hope we'll see each other soon. You probably figured why this chapter is for you. It's the first of April. And what's it like being a year older? Join the club, m'dear ;b Oh, I know I already asked you that when I texted you, but who cares? YOU'RE THE GREATEST!_

_**Disclaimer; **I do now own High School Musical._


	30. Chapter Thirty

**Chapter Thirty **

**Everybody Likes the Pink One**

"So you're really pregnant?" Gabriella asked, and stared at Sharpay, who was leaning against the bathroom sink, eyes closed. She looked really tired, but Gabriella couldn't blame her. She probably hadn't slept for two days straight or something. After she had written that message yesterday, Gabriella had been too shocked to reply, which probably wasn't very smart, but she hadn't been able to get her thumbs to move. She had replied later though, when she had gotten home. Sharpay had ended up telling her they'd talk at school tomorrow since her mother was now home, and she couldn't risk being caught talking about this.

Sharpay opened her eyes to lock them with Gabriella's, "It's not confirmed yet." She said. She was unusually pale and her brown eyes were filled with worry, "I didn't take a test, there was no way I could get out to buy one. But I'm pretty much sure." She swallowed and made a face, "After you made that comment about my period, I sorta realized I haven't had it since two weeks before Zeke's party."

Gabriella scratched her cheek. That was almost two months ago. "Are you sure you remember correctly Sharpay? Maybe you've been too caught up in the whole Troy-thing to realize what was really happening? Maybe it slipped past you or something?" Gabriella tried. She wished deeply that her friend wasn't pregnant. Sharpay just couldn't be. It would ruin everything for the blonde girl, and Gabriella definitely didn't want that. Their argument was forgotten, because this was much more important – not that Gabriella couldn't remember what had gone down between them. But she also remembered Sharpay apologising.

Sharpay shook her head, blonde hair flying everywhere, "I'm sure it didn't." she replied, "I've always calculated everything out. My mother told me to. And I… I just – I have a feeling something's not right." she finished, placing a hand on her stomach.

"But maybe that's because of everything with Troy!" Gabriella hopefully suggested, and glanced briefly at Sharpay's flat stomach; she found it hard to image Sharpay with a huge belly, "Maybe it's just bothering you real bad? I mean… It would bother anyone. If my best friend slept with me while I was drunk, I'd just – I'd freak out. And you had a boyfriend!? Now, are you sure it's really Troy's? It could be Zeke's, you did sleep with him too. But perhaps you aren't even pregnant. Perhaps you're just stressing out or something? I could happen, I mean-"

"Gabriella!" Sharpay cut her off, and gave her a hard glare, "Chillax, alright? There's no need to freak out. It doesn't matter how I didn't notice I was late. All that matters is… I think I'm pregnant and – and I need to get a pregnancy test. I really need your help getting through this. I'm sorry for the way I've treated you, and I'm sorry for the way I've treated Troy. Will you help me?" she asked, but then as an afterthought, she added, "…please?"

Gabriella got a soft look across her face. It didn't matter that Sharpay said this, while small tears were forming in her eyes. It didn't matter that she said this while she was freaked out, and that she probably did it for her own reason of getting help. All that mattered was that she had said 'I'm sorry'. "Aw, you don't have to apologise Sharpay… Though it's nice that you do, but you've – you've got so much more to worry about now. And what kind of friend would I be if I _didn't_ help you?"

The question hung in the air between them for a couple of seconds, and Gabriella wondered if she had said something wrong. It was a rhetorical question and she really didn't need an answer. Of course she'd help, she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't, but Sharpay seemed to be of a different meaning. Now the blonde girl looked up, with actual tears rolling down her cheeks, and Gabriella took a step forward and enveloped her arms around her. Sharpay immediately rested her head on her shoulder and cried, while Gabriella tried to soothe her. This wasn't because she was forced – this was what she wanted.

"I can't believe you're this nice." Sharpay whispered, still wrapped up in Gabriella's arms, "I've treated you like crap. I've taken you for granted. And you're just always so sweet to me. If you didn't help, you'd be the kind of friend who's really tired of being dragged through a puddle of mud by her friend."

Gabriella giggled, even if she also felt like crying. For some reason this 'speech' of Sharpay's really moved her. "I know things have been bumpy for the two of us…" she whispered, and pulled back, gently tugging a piece of Sharpay's hair behind her ear, "But we didn't start our friendship the ideal way. Nothing about us is ideal. I think – once you get this out of the way, and everything is cleared out with Troy – that you and I really need some girlfriend time. You're great Sharpay, and I… I care about you."

Sharpay reached a hand up and tried to dry her face without ruining her make-up, "You're great too, Gab." She replied, and turned to look herself in the mirror. She let out a deep breath, and began to gather up her stuff, "We better get to class, though."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Gabriella said, and stopped Sharpay from packing her stuff all together, "We need to make a plan. When will we buy this test?" she questioned.

Sharpay bit her lip for a second, as she made her decision, "Uhm… Do you have time… _today_?"

Gabriella couldn't help but smile, "I'll make time, don't worry." She said, "But you're right, we should get to class. We'll go there right after school, yes?" she continued, as she grabbed her book bag, and slung it over her shoulder.

"Sure, thank you." Sharpay said, and made sure she had everything too. She made her way for the door, but paused on the way out, and turned back to look at Gabriella, "You won't tell anyone what we just talked about, will you?"

"No, of course not!" Gabriella said. She decided not to mention if Sharpay could even think she would be stupid enough to mention it to anyone. It'd be around the school before lunch break if she as much as said 'Sharpay' and 'pregnant' in the same sentence.

Sharpay smiled, "Thank you. You really are a great friend."

Gabriella smiled too, and the two girls hurried out of there, ready to get to class. They had skipped homeroom, so they hoped they wouldn't be in too much trouble. Back inside the bathroom, two feet hit the ground, behind an unlocked door. Senior, Sophia Walters opened the door, a curious smile on her face. She looked around the bathroom, and couldn't help but feel proud of herself.

So Sharpay Evans was pregnant? …who was the father to be? There was two options; Troy Bolton or Zeke Baylor?

**--ooo--**

Sharpay had no idea why, but when she and Gabriella stepped out of their Science class, people were shooting them odd stares. It wasn't as if they had been in there really late after the bell rang, so they should be considered geeks. They were actually the first ones out of there – that was what made it so weird.

People almost parted for them when they went down the hall, and Sharpay could feel Gabriella tensing up beside her, since she wasn't used to this kind of attention. Sharpay usually loved it, but she had a feeling that this definitely wasn't good. She could feel their eyes like needles against her skin, and she suddenly felt self-conscious, and wanted to wrap her arms around her body.

She leaned in closer to Gabriella, as they made their way down the hallway, "Why do I feel like everyone's looking at us?" she whispered, as she scanned the faces around them.

"Uuh, because they are…" Gabriella replied back, as she picked up her speed, to get to her locker. Sharpay was right on her tail, and leaned herself against the locker next to Gabriella's. There was people all over the place, and she really dreaded going into the cafeteria. Whatever it was that was going on, she could definitely feel that it wasn't good for her.

"Do you wanna go inside?" Sharpay asked and pointed to the double doors, where people kept going in and out.

Gabriella closed her locker with a sigh, "We sort of have to, don't we? I mean – you've got to eat, Shar."

Sharpay nodded and extended her hand to Gabriella, "I know. So let's do it." she smiled, as Gabriella placed her hand in hers, and they went for the doors. They still got those curious stares, but nothing could really have prepared them of what was waiting for them inside. The minute the doors smacked behind them, all eyes were on them.

Gabriella gulped, "This is not good…" she whispered, and glanced briefly and very noticeably at Sharpay's stomach, "You think they know?"

Sharpay nodded, "…but how?"

"I have no idea." Gabriella replied, through gritted teeth.

"Did you hear…" someone whispered, very loudly, just so everyone would definitely 'hear' this, "…she's pregnant. But she _doesn't_ know who the father is."

This time Sharpay gulped, as she looked around the room again, scanning the crowd for either Zeke or Troy, who were two people who definitely shouldn't hear this. But unfortunately she could see both boys there. Luckily people now started whispering among themselves, after what they'd just heard.

Sharpay prepared herself to take the walk of shame to get to a free table.

"…at the party. It could either be Troy's or Zeke's…"

"…cheated… Zeke…"

"…a little too much to drink, and she and Troy had too much fun…"

"I wonder what Zeke will do?"

"Do you think she's going to keep the baby?"

"…sure yet, maybe it's another guy's all together?"

Sharpay stopped in the middle of the cafeteria and turned around to look at Gabriella. This was bothering her so much, and she could tell her friend was uncomfortable too. She had to get out of there, and it had to be really soon if she didn't want to cry in front of everyone, "I've got to get out of here, Gab." She whispered, leaning as close to Gabriella's ear, as possible, "I'll pick you up after school, I'll be waiting outside…" she trailed off, "…in Ryan's car." She decided.

"Okay." Gabriella nodded, and offered her a small smile, "I'll see you later, Shar."

"Bye." Sharpay kissed Gabriella's cheek, before she turned around and walked out of the cafeteria with as much dignity and quickness as she could master.

Zeke stared after her, anger boiling inside of him. He couldn't believe her if this was true. He knew she had cheated on him, but he would have never suspected that it was with Troy. And he couldn't even comprehend the fact that Troy could do this to him. This had got to be a nasty rumour. Or someone had to have gotten the wrong facts… It couldn't be true.

But when he looked to the side, and saw Troy on the other side of the table, he thought he might be wrong. The basketball king was awfully pale, and the story didn't look too unfamiliar to him.

**--ooo--**

Troy threw himself at his bed, exhaustion rushing through his veins. This was too much. He almost hadn't been able to go through the rest of his day, after the dreaded lunch break. Everyone had been giving him odd stares, and he had tried his best to avoid Zeke (which he had managed to do, but that also resulted in him skipping basketball practise), so by four o'clock he was way too tired to do anything. He just drove straight home, and went to his room.

He couldn't believe this. Sharpay was pregnant? But she didn't know who was the father? What if it was him? Would he be able to handle being a dad? Or would he totally mess up? But what if it was Zeke's? Where would that lead him and Sharpay? Would Zeke get back together with her for the sake of the baby, or would she still like him? But what if Sharpay didn't even want the baby? What if she wanted to get an abortion?

No. Sharpay would never kill a child. She wouldn't. No matter the circumstances. She wasn't like that – she'd love the baby no matter what.

He understood why she rushed out of there earlier. Everyone was talking about her, and he wouldn't have liked that had it been himself. But Gabriella had been nailed to the spot, and something told Troy that she had known first of all people; he had no idea how long though. And how it got around campus he had no idea either. Zeke had looked pretty pissed. When Sharpay had left, Troy hadn't been able to move for a few seconds, but as soon as people started talking a bit, he had turned his head to the side, and seen Zeke giving him the eyes. That had gotten him out of his seat quicker than anyone could say 'quick'. And since then he had avoided Zeke.

This was driving him crazy. One thing was that Sharpay was pregnant, but that there was a chance that the baby wasn't his… Now, he hadn't exactly been aiming for being a teenage father, but he'd rather have the baby be his than Zeke's. If this was Zeke's child, he was almost certain nothing would happen between him and Sharpay. And he was just getting so close…

Troy sat up in his bed and rubbed his forehead. He should probably go talk to her or something. He really should. This was something huge. They couldn't go on fighting like this. He had to talk it through with her. And this time, he was going to sit down and do it gently. They would sit together and discuss what needed to be done. It was the mature way to handle this. And he was tired of them being childish. They had to act their age – they were sixteen. Seventeen soon. They had to take responsibility for their actions.

The huge question was just… Who the father was. With the rumours floating around campus, he was pretty sure it was his. That was what they all said. And it did make sense. Of course Sharpay and Zeke – being all in love and not drunk – would remember to put on a condom. But he and Sharpay probably hadn't. He didn't exactly remember if they did or not, they could have, but they also couldn't have. It was fifty/fifty, really. And he hated himself for that. He remembered making a huge deal to Zeke; telling him to remember the condom. And what does he do himself? He _forgets_ the condom!

If Sharpay really was pregnant, he wanted this to be his child. He wanted to take care of it with her, and watch it grow up. It didn't matter that they were so young – they'd make it through. He knew they could. And he had a feeling in his stomach that everything would be alright. He had no idea how it could be, or how they'd make it work. He just knew everything would work out.

Troy could hear the doorbell ring through the house. He cursed whoever was at the door and quickly stood up, racing down the stairs. He crossed the hallway and opened the door, his face dropping. On the other side, standing on his front porch, was Zeke. And he _didn't_ look happy.

"Uhm, hi Zeke." Troy said, and swallowed a lump that was quickly forming in his throat.

Zeke gave him a hard glare and stepped over the threshold, not bothering to close the door behind him. He immediately went for Troy and pushed him against the nearest wall, eyes wide. "Have you slept with her!?" he wanted to know, his fists clenching Troy's shirt.

Troy gulped, but he did not reply.

"Have you!?" Zeke continued. Oh, he knew that it had to be Troy. Every rumour had said so around school. And he was probably the father too, not that _that_ bothered Zeke, but… He couldn't believe one of his best friends would sleep with his girlfriend. That was _so_ not in the male code.

Troy swallowed again, and took in a deep breath, before nodding his head slightly.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Zeke said, and lifted his arm to give Troy one, however, Troy's hand grabbed his wrist, and gave him a pleading look.

"Zeke, man…" he said, and locked eyes with him, "We both know you're much stronger than me. We know you would _kick my butt_, I wouldn't even try to defend myself, but… I'll ask you nicely – please, don't hit me. I know what I did was wrong, but…" Troy trailed off, knowing he was coming off as a big pushover, but he knew he'd lose this, so he wouldn't even bother to try, "I just – I'm sorry dude, but I love her…"

Zeke got a thoughtful look on his face. His brown eyes were filled with questions and doubts, and Troy prayed to whoever listened, that he'd convince Zeke to let him go. "Yes, Troy, I know you love her," Zeke said, and swallowed loudly, "but so did I… and she was _my_ girlfriend. Not yours."

"I know." Troy pleaded. He felt so helpless right next to Zeke's strong frame. The other guy was so much bigger – he really meant what he had said before. There was no doubt who'd win if the two of them got in a fight.

"And I might forgive you for what you did to her." Zeke said, and let his hand drop a bit, which relieved Troy. However, he raised it straight again, and smacked Troy across the head, "After I did that." Zeke finished and backed up, while he ignored Troy, who was now clutching the side of his face, cursing, "Now, we're cool Troy, let me know how it goes…" he went for the door, but stopped there, and turned back around, "Oh, and you wouldn't care if I asked Gabriella out, would you?"

Troy looked up, and tried to ignore the taste of blood in his mouth, "No, that's cool, dude." He whispered, "Ask away."

Zeke gave him thumbs up and left the house, while Troy turned around and looked at himself in the mirror on the wall. Now, this hurt like hell, and he hated Zeke for doing this. But on the other hand… he also knew he deserved it. So he was going to take it as a man.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay's eyes scanned the shelf carefully, taking everything in. It was crazy. There were so many names, labels and boxes, that she just didn't know where to start. Everything sprung into her eyes, and she didn't even know which one to pick out and study closer first. It was too much to handle. She couldn't choose one of these tests. They were all so different, and yet they'd all do the same for her.

Next to her Gabriella was looking carefully to both sides, before tip-toeing up to grab a white package. She stood back down on her heels, and got a curious look on her face, as she read on the back of it. Sharpay took a step back and leaned herself against a post, closing her eyes tightly.

She just couldn't do this. There was no way she would be able to pick one out and actually look the cashier in the eyes, while buying it. It would be too embarrassing. She would never get through this. And her father was known around town. Somebody might realize who she was and just tell him!

"I think it'd be best if we pick at least three different ones."

Sharpay opened her eyes again, and found Gabriella in front of her, a pregnancy test box in each hand. One of them was the white one she had looked at before, and the other one was pink, with a picture of a baby on the front. Gabriella looked extremely comfortable right there, in the middle of the pregnancy/contraception aisle. It was funny really. On one side, they were trying to prevent girls from getting pregnant by displaying condoms, but on the other side they had pregnancy tests on six shelves, so girls who had gotten pregnant, wouldn't know which one to buy, and ended up buying them all. They were really clever like that.

_Wait… Who is 'them'? _

Sharpay groaned aloud and grabbed the pink box from Gabriella's hand, studying the back of it with huge eyes. She had no idea what to do or say. Pregnancy tests weren't exactly her field.

"Why three?" she asked her friend, turning her head up, to meet Gabriella's eyes.

Gabriella shrugged, and shoved the other package into Sharpay's arms, "Because… if we pick three different ones, and you take all three, and they show the same, we'll know it's true." She explained, and turned around to look at the shelves again, finger on chin, as she bent her head, to look at the lowest ones.

Sharpay decided to get her act together. She had to at least help Gabriella with this. Her friend was so sweet and together, and she did everything for her. This was for her. She had to help. She shouldn't just be standing there. Sharpay took in a deep breath and just as she was about to join Gabriella in the search, she caught sight of one of the ladies from her mother's yoga class. Her eyes went wide when she saw her coming their way, so she quickly grabbed Gabriella's arm, pulled the poor brunette onto her legs, and shoved the pregnancy tests into her arms.

Then she stood still for a few seconds. What was worst? Looking for condoms, or looking at pregnancy tests? Pregnancy tests. Definitely pregnancy tests. Sharpay quickly turned around and grabbed the nearest box of condoms she could find, pretending to study it closely.

Gabriella looked confused next to her, but the minute the redhead stopped next to them, and noticed Sharpay, her features calmed. She realized what was happening.

"Sharpay!" the redhead said.

Sharpay turned around with a fake smile on her face, "Mrs. Peterson, hi!" she cheered, voice high and squeaky.

Mrs. Peterson (who was actually the youngest one, being only 27) was about to reply to Sharpay, when she caught sight of what Sharpay held in her hands, "Oh God, are you having an evening with the boyfriend? Make sure your mom doesn't catch you."

Sharpay giggled nervously, "Oh yeah…" she placed the package back onto the shelf and sighed, "What are you doing here, then?"

"Oh…" Mrs. Peterson giggled, and pointed above her shoulder, "I'm here to look for a good pregnancy test." She turned around, and Sharpay followed her, "We're trying again, Guy and I, and it seems like this was our lucky time, so I'm just going to buy one and make sure." She paused, as her eyes scanned the different ones, "It's so confusing, I mean, how do you know which one is the best?"

"Take this one." Gabriella murmured, and this was the umpteenth time the pink box was shoved into someone's arms.

"Uhm," Mrs. Paterson grabbed the package and turned it around in her hands, "thanks, I guess…" she looked at Gabriella, and watched her closer, "Who are you?"

"Oh!" Sharpay said, and placed an arm around Gabriella, pulling her friend closer to her, "This is Gabriella! She's my best friend." Sharpay kept on smiling, but Gabriella was tensing in her arms, "She's uhm…" she eyed the box in Gabriella's hands, and added, "She thinks she might be pregnant, so that's actually the reason I'm here. It would be great if you didn't tell my mom. If Mrs. Montez finds out, Gabriella's dead."

Mrs. Peterson gave Gabriella a pity glare, "I'm so sorry, sweetie." She said, and patted Gabriella gently on the arm, "You should be more responsible, like Sharpay. Remember the condom the next time."

Gabriella just smiled at Mrs. Peterson, as she bid them goodbye and turned to find the cash register, the pink box in her hands. But when she was out of sight, Gabriella turned back around to Sharpay, anger floating through her brown pools, "'She thinks she might be pregnant'?! 'If Mrs. Montez finds out, Gabriella's dead'!? Oh please, I haven't even had sex before!"

"I'm sorry." Sharpay said, and bit her thumbnail, "I didn't know what to do, I – I freaked out. I'm sorry."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes in on her, before she grabbed another one of the pink boxes from the shelf, "Whatever. You owe me for this Sharpay."

Sharpay knew she was right. Gabriella was doing so much for her. But she couldn't help but be scared and nervous about this. After all, she played a huge factor in it. A bigger one than Gabriella. _She _wasn't the one who might possibly be pregnant; she was just there on the sidelines. She didn't have the problem. But Sharpay appreciated her help, "I know Gabriella, and I'll buy you something nice, that's for sure. I really appreciate your help. You're a true friend."

Gabriella got a warm look on her face and stepped forward, hugging Sharpay, "You don't have to buy me anything, Shar…" she whispered, "I'm doing this because I want to."

"And I want to buy you something nice." Sharpay whispered into her hair, as they still hugged each other, "I love you, Gab."

"I love you too." Gabriella replied, and pulled back. She stared into Sharpay's eyes for a few seconds, before deciding on what to do, "Now… Let me grab a few more boxes and then we can get out of here. I really need you to take these soon…"

Sharpay smiled happily, and Gabriella turned around to find a few more good ones, while humming 'True Friend'.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay threw the pharmacy bag on her bed and sat down next to it, while Gabriella grabbed the office chair, and rolled across the floor, so she was in front of her. Sharpay was really nervous. She felt like she was going to throw up. She didn't know if it might be because she was pregnant, or if she was just really, really nervous. She usually didn't feel like this, though. She had always been able to control her nerves. She suspected that vocal exercises wouldn't help her now, though.

"Are you going to do it today?" Gabriella wanted to know. She looked a bit pale, but it wasn't anything huge, "I mean… It might be good to have me here when you see the results?"

Sharpay scratched her cheek, while she thought things over. Gabriella did have a point. It would be good to have support with her. Who knew if she would even be able to look at the damn thing herself!? "I'd really like it if you were here." She concluded, and looked at Gabriella, her brown eyes filled with so many emotions.

Gabriella got a soft look on her face, "Of course I'll be here." She said, and shot Sharpay a smile, "You want to get it over with?"

Sharpay took in a deep breath and slowly nodded. It was now. She had to get this done. She had to know whether or not she'd be known as the teenage mom. She had to know if she had to tell Troy he'd become a father. She had to do this. She had to face the consequences.

She was just getting enough courage together to stand up and go to her bathroom, when her door barged open and Richard was seen there. Gabriella jumped out of the office chair and onto the five boxes, trying to hide them. She grabbed the nearest pillow, and placed it on her stomach, making a face, as if this was just normal behaviour for her.

"Dad!" Sharpay said, and stood up, heart beating in her throat, "Could you knock!?"

Richard merely rolled his eyes at his daughter, "Princess, it's just us." He said, before continuing, "But would you two mind coming down for a second? I think Ryan has something he wants to say. And apparently you – his twins sister – has to be there…"

Sharpay glanced at Gabriella, who obviously couldn't stand up, or else the boxes would come out in the open, "We'll be right down, daddy. We just have to finish this…"

Richard laughed, "Hurry up, girls." He said, before he turned around and went downstairs.

Gabriella stood up, heaving out a sigh of relief. She quickly inspected the boxes to make sure that nothing was broken. Everything seemed okay, so she let them be on the bed, and shot Sharpay a reassuring smile, "Should we go down?"

"Yeah." Sharpay said, and grabbed Gabriella's hand. The two of them hurried down the stairs and followed the voices of Viola and Richard into the living room, where they were sitting, Ryan standing up. Sharpay had a feeling what this was about, but she couldn't be totally sure. She and Gabriella took a seat together on one of the free couches.

"What is it, Ryan?" Viola asked, a curious look in her eyes.

"Mom." Ryan said, and gave her a slight nod, "Dad." He continued, doing the same to him, "I have something I want to tell the two of you. I know you two haven't been much home, so that's why I've waited awhile with doing this, but I think now's the time. You're gonna be home much more, so you'll have to know."

Richard looked concerned, "What's wrong, Ryan? Did you do something bad? Did Ashlee get in trouble? Did someone get hurt? Or did Sharpay join a convent?"

Sharpay bit her lip, "No, dad." She replied, and swallowed, "No convent for me _right now_. I might join one later."

Ryan rolled his eyes at his twin sister, before he opened his mouth again. He had pondered and pondered over how to break this to his parents, but had eventually settled on just telling them. They'd have to know someday, and Tobias was getting kind of impatient. His parents knew and they were so cool about it. They welcomed Ryan in their home, and Ryan wanted Tobias to be welcomed by his parents too.

But before he even managed to speak, an angry Ashlee was shown in the door, "Are you having a family meeting _without_ me!?"

"Sorry, sweetie." Viola said, and patted the seat next to her, "Come join us. We didn't mean to exclude you."

Ashlee took a stronger hold on the pink box she was holding, and took a few steps closer, still looking a bit suspicious. Gabriella gasped next to Sharpay, who first looked at her friend, and then back at Ashlee; not getting the big deal.

"Did you trade me out for _Gabriella_?!" Ashlee shrieked. Being Sharpay's sister definitely did rub off on her at times.

Viola chuckled awkwardly at her daughter, "No, we did not." She said, and patted the spot next to her, "Now, come sit down, honey." She paused, when Ashlee seemed to relax again, "What's that in your hands, though?"

"Oh!" Ashlee's face lit up when she remembered the box, but Sharpay's face froze, while Gabriella groaned next to her, "This…" Ashlee continued, "It was kinda what I wanted to know?"

Richard reached forward and grabbed the box, while Sharpay sunk lower in her seat, breathing hard. Ryan turned to them, an eyebrow raised, his eyes full of questions. Gabriella simply closed her eyes, and dreaded the fight that was coming. A fight she'd soon be caught in the middle of, even if she didn't belong there.

It didn't take Richard very long to figure out what the box held. His features froze, and he looked back at his youngest child and daughter, "This is a pregnancy test, Ashlee. Where did you find this?"

"In Sharpay's room." Ashlee replied, on reflex. She had no idea what she was about to cause.

Ryan could sense his father's questions coming towards Sharpay, so he aimed one at Ashlee instead; trying to place the guilt on her, "What were you doing in Sharpay's room?"

"Oh," Ashlee said, and placed her hands on her hips, "I was just up there, minding my own business, when I found that one on the bed. It was there among four others. I just picked the pink one, 'cuz I thought it was pretty."

Sharpay crumpled in her seat, when both her mother and her father turned to her, anger slowly coming to their faces. If the world could swallow you, it would definitely have been great right now. She had never felt more scared or more low. She just wanted to die. This, she wasn't ready for.

"Sharpay!?" Richard said, and stood up, pregnancy test box in one hand, and a hard stare in his else so warm eyes, "What's this!? Pregnancy tests!? Are you pregnant?!"

"Dad…" Sharpay said, and did her best to look him in the eyes, "No, I'm not, I'm not pregnant… At least we don't know that _yet_…"

"'Don't know that _yet_'?" Viola questioned, from her position on the couch, "Are you saying that there is a possibility that you could_ be _pregnant?"

Sharpay shuttered beneath her glare, "Well, if I'm not pregnant, then I'm just really, really late." She tried, hoping her parents would let her off the hook. It didn't exactly look like it though. She had never been more scared of them. Never. She wished she hadn't slept with Troy, now. More than ever. Not that she regretted spending that time with him, and doing that with him, because she could never, no matter what she had told him, regret that. But right now, she sort of wished they had been more careful.

"Sharpay!" Richard said, disbelief streaming through his voice, and eyes almost bulging out of his head, "Are you saying that… Have you slept with someone!? I thought we raised you better than that!"

"What did you expect me to do, dad?" Sharpay asked. She shouldn't listen to this. She knew her parents hadn't expected her to go out and get pregnant, but she was a teenager, and she had never planned on staying a virgin through her entire life, "Did you _really_ expect me to have joined a convent!?"

"No!" Richard said, his voice getting louder and louder, "All I expected from you was responsibility! I never thought you'd do such thing. You've always been such a smart girl."

"This is has nothing to do with being smart, dad!" Sharpay said, and stood up, letting Gabriella be in the couch, "This has something to do with being unlucky. I didn't mean for this to happen, alright? It just did!"

Before Sharpay really knew what happened her father had started to yell at her again, and her mother soon joined in her high pitched voice. Ashlee was looking on with wide eyes, and Gabriella seemed really scared. Sharpay herself yelled back with all her might; trying to defend herself. And while Ryan was irritated that he hadn't been able to tell them about his sexuality and his boyfriend, he was also shocked.

Sharpay couldn't be pregnant. Not his beautiful, smart twin sister. He had heard the rumours at school, but he hadn't wanted to believe them. But now it sounded like they were really true. If she was really pregnant, their parents shouldn't be yelling at her like this. They should talk this through. And he wanted to make it stop, because Sharpay looked like she was about to cry of frustration. This was not healthy on her. If she was pregnant, it _definitely_ wasn't.

"WHAT THE HELL WON'T PEOPLE SAY!?" Richard hollered.

"…so disappointed!" Viola added.

"What will we do with you?!" Richard continued, spit flying everywhere, "What did you expect, Sharpay, that we just-"

Before Ryan knew what he had done, he had cut his father off in the middle of his lecture. And it wasn't just with any simple remark about the weather or how his day at school went. He simply just yelled on the top of his lungs;

"I'M GAY!"

Everyone got silent, and Richard turned one of four quarters to the side, staring frozenly at his only son.

* * *

_I am so proud of myself. Are you not proud of me? Do you guys realize how quickly I updated this time? I think that deserves some applause :D This went really quick, I can't even believe it. I will try to update soon again, but I will be writing a chapter of 'When You Love Someone' before doing so._

_There's a few things I have to comment on. Alright, don't kill me for having Zeke hit Troy. Chris is much more strongly build than Zac, and I do believe he'd be able to take him down. I wouldn't know for sure though, I've never seen them fight ;D _

_And then also… You know how rumours spread. One person knows and next it's the entire school. It's the wonders (not!) of cell phones. Two girls at my school took naked photos of themselves (I do not know if they particularly like Vanessa Hudgens ;p –no offence) and sent them to a guy one of them liked. And then he sent them to one of his friends, and he sent them to his class (my class) and we sent them to everyone we knew. I know, I know, I shouldn't participate in such things, but hey! They could've not taken the pictures and be stupid… and… I didn't like either of them. They've never treated me good. _

_Done. No more comments. Now just the nice stuff ;D I hope this chapter was up to everyone's expectations. I had so much fun reading you guys' responses from last chapter. They were all so different, and some of them made me crack up. Some of you have guessed what's to come, some of you are close, and some are way off. It's going to be some fun last chapters. _

_And after that, I'll just thank you all so much for the awesome reviews. I want to thank you all for helping me beat a thousandth reviews. I never, in my wildest dreams, thought it'd get this far, but I'm so happy people are enjoying this. Please keep them coming, because I love them so much, and whatever people say; they do keep me writing. Last chapter was the most reviewed one to date, so also thanks for that. You guys truly rock my world. _

_And… please review again? _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own High School Musical or the song I mentioned, 'True Friend' – you guys probably already know that that one belongs to Hannah Montana. _


	31. Chapter Thirty One

**Chapter Thirty One**

**Pregnancy Problems**

Ryan held his breath, nervously anticipating the answer. He really hadn't wanted his parents to know like that, but for some reason, he felt like he did the right thing. Every focus was _certainly_ off Sharpay. His father was staring at him, frozen on the spot, while his mother was watching him with somewhat scary eyes. She fiddled with her wedding ring, but the rest of her was frozen too.

Gabriella sat in the chair, eyes wide. She probably couldn't believe she was caught in the middle of all this; but she was probably also shocked that he had blurted it out like this. He was shocked too. But he had a feeling he would never have been able to tell them the right way. He wouldn't have the guts to face his father on his own. This way, it was done, it was over with; and it helped his sister too.

Speaking of Sharpay… Her breathing was ragged, but she was shooting him the most appreciative smile he had ever seen on her face. He was sure she had never been more relieved and more happy to have him as her brother. He offered her a weak smile, scared himself of what was to come. He knew he had let her off the hook – but it wasn't for long. His parents would deal with him now, and then they'd deal with her later. He knew Sharpay knew this too, but she seemed happy to have been given space.

It seemed like Richard was slowly coming to his senses, after having swallowed the first shock. He seemed pretty shook up, but opened his mouth to speak, holding his anger in, "When you say 'gay'," he begun, voice practically shaking with nervousness, "hopefully, you mean 'happy'?"

Ryan swallowed loudly and looked at Sharpay who offered him a supportive smile, to let him know, she'd be there for him along the way, even if his own parents turned against him, "No, Father." Ryan said, and decided that now was the time; he was going to stand his ground, "I don't mean happy. I mean gay. As in – I have a boyfriend."

"Oh God…" Viola whimpered, and took herself to the head. Her hand shook when she fell backwards and onto one of the fluffy couches, deep in shock.

Richard looked to the ground for a few seconds, before giving his son the toughest look he could muster in his freaked-out state, "Ryan Evans!" he said, "You have a boyfriend? As in … you're dating a guy? A boy? A -- _male_?"

"That is the definition of a boy, yes." Ryan dared to answer back, as he stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to act like this wasn't bothering him at all, when really, deep down, it was. And he knew Sharpay could see that, because she looked at him with those sisterly eyes. Ashlee just looked confused, but he didn't blame her, "And Father." He added, and locked eyes with him, "I'm not even sorry, alright? 'Cuz I love him."

"You love him?" Richard questioned, disbelief streaming through his voice, "You love another boy? What do you know about love, Ryan?" he continued, almost rolling his eyes, "You know you're not gonna be able to see him again right, 'cuz mother and I would never allow that."

"Daddy!" Ashlee piped in, moving forward to tug at his sleeve, "You cannot do that! Tobias is a very nice guy! He always helped me with my reading. He's so sweet."

Richard turned to his youngest child, looking down at the young girl, "So you've met this Tobias guy?"

Ashlee couldn't hide her smile, "Yup!" she said, happy as always, "And he's very nice. He's kinda tall, he has this hair and those jeans. And he's always nice to me. Why can't Ryan see him anymore?"

"I will, Ash, don't worry." Ryan quickly assured his little sister, before turning to his father again, anger quickly raising, "And who're you to decide that, Father?! I'll spend time with whoever I want to. There's nothing you can do!"

"Oh please Ryan!" Viola chipped in, finally speaking up, "Do you really want to disobey us? We're your parents."

"If you were my parents, you wouldn't even consider keeping me away from him – you'd want me to be happy." Ryan said, and shot his mother a look. He wanted them to understand this. He wanted to let them know that he'd really hate them forever if they did this to him. Sure, it'd be tough not to be friends with his parents, but he couldn't change himself just for them. There was just no way.

His comment hung in the air between him and his parents, while Sharpay slowly got Gabriella out of the chair, motioning for the other girl to come on with her, and leave the room. Ryan didn't know whether it was because she thought this conversation was private; only to be between him and their parents, or if she wanted to get out of there before they were done with him, and went back to her. He figured it was the latter. And he didn't blame her – after all, he had done this for _her _too.

The two girls slowly tiptoed out of the room, and Ryan squeezed his eyes shut, knowing he was on his own right now.

"So you're happy?" Viola questioned him, standing up, so she was on eyelevel with the rest of them.

"I am, yes." Ryan said, and drew in a deep breath, "Tobias makes me happy. I can be myself with him. And I am gonna spend more time with him no matter what you guys say. I know it's not… in your picture of how I'm supposed to live my life. But Jack and Lucy have met Tub – and they love him. They approve. I'm sorry, but if you're going to disinherit me, say it right now, and I'll pack my bags."

"No Ryan, we won't disinherit you, son." Richard said, with a slight smile, and Ryan just believed he might have convinced them, "You just have to change before you're eighteen and by the age of twenty three you'll be married to a nice girl. Then you can have an advance to your money, and we might be very grateful if you give us some grandkids."

"I won't give you grandkids." Ryan spat, hating his father for the 'life' he had planned for his son. There was just no way he was going to live like this! "I'm gay, so naturally, I'll never get to do that. Unless I adopt some cute African child or something… Y'know, I might just do that."

This got Richard over the edge. Ryan could see the big vein pop up in his temple, as he tried to keep in his rage. But Ryan could also see that he wouldn't be able to. And two seconds later, Richard ruined everyone's hearing, "SHUT UP, RYAN!" he yelled, "YOU'RE NOT GAY! WE RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THAT!"

"You raised me better than that?" Ryan carefully questioned, voice edgy, "Dad! You didn't raise me at all. You were never here. You didn't raise any of us. You didn't raise me and Shar, and yet you still go ahead and get another child! You didn't raise Ash either!" he took in a deep breath, "You think you're amazing parents, but truth is – you're not!"

"Oh please, Ryan!" Viola spat and took a step closer to him, ignoring the confused looks Ashlee was shooting everyone, "We're wonderful parents, we gave you guys everything you wanted. We made sure you could go to whichever college you'd prefer. We know the right people… And here you are, calling us bad parents?"

Ryan just nodded, "Yeah, because newsflash for ya' mom; money is not everything! Sure, they're nice to have, but I've seen some poor families, and they're all more happy than we are. You know how Kelsi from my class lives? She lives with her father only in a two bedroom, shitty apartment, but they're happy. They've been saving up since she got piano lessons so she could go to one of those schools if she didn't get a scholarship. But they're happy." He repeated.

He could see his words had an effect on his mother, but his father was never that easy to convince of anything. He shook his head to himself, before stepping closer to Ryan, "Don't you dare blame your gayness on us. We did everything we could to make you a right man. But you're just ungrateful. What have we done to you?"

Ryan laughed. He laughed a hollow, low laugh, before shaking his head at his father, "Father, Father, Father," he said, and locked eyes with him, "don't you for one second think that this is about you. It has nothing to do with you. It has to do with who I am. And even if this wasn't in your book, I'm still gay. It's me. So… Deal with or don't."

This also shut his father up. Ryan took in a deep breath and looked around the room for a few seconds. Ashlee looked confused, but she'd just have to stay there, to soften their parents up if possible. Ryan bit his lip lightly, before he stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned around; leaving the room .

**--ooo--**

"Did you grab the boxes, Gab?"

"Yeah, I threw all of them into this bag." Gabriella replied, and held a pink plastic bag up, so Sharpay could see it. Sharpay glanced to the side for a few seconds, before looking back onto the road. Gabriella had been really confused when Sharpay had tugged at her arm back in the living room, and wanted her to go with her, out of there. But of course she had followed her best friend upstairs and in a rush Sharpay had packed clothes, make-up, school things and whatever she needed. Gabriella had been asked to grab the pregnancy tests and she had done so, before they had hurried down the stairs and into Sharpay's car. Now, they were on their way to Gabriella's house.

Gabriella had to admit, she didn't get why they had rushed out of there like that. She knew Sharpay didn't want to deal with her parents and this whole subject, but it was not the right thing to rush out of there and just leave the subject and leave her parents. It was extremely childish not the stand up for herself and talk this through, but she didn't want to tell Sharpay that. She'd just be there to support her friend, and talk to her whenever needed. She'd keep her opinions to herself and just… Just let Sharpay make her own decisions.

"Great." Sharpay replied, and smiled slightly, "I know it's a school night, it being Friday tomorrow, but do you think I can stay with you? I can't go home for tonight anyway."

"Of course you can stay with me. I know Mom won't mind." Gabriella replied. She really did know she wouldn't mind. Of course she couldn't tell her _why_ Sharpay couldn't stay at home, but she was sure it would be okay, "We'll just tell her it's because we need to work on some homework together."

"That's fine. Just tell her I suck at math. That's true anyway." Sharpay giggled, just as they drove into Gabriella's driveway. It was such a short drive anyway. They got out of the car and grabbed all Sharpay's things, before hurrying inside.

"Mom, I'm home!" Gabriella said, as she kicked off her shoes, and tugged the plastic bag beneath her shirt, which was lying across her arm.

Mrs. Montez immediately came into the small hallway to greet her daughter, "Gabby!" she said, and happily hugged her. She was wearing an apron, and it was covered in some sort of sauce, so Gabriella tried to not get too close, "And Sharpay dear? What's up?"

"I'd love it if I could stay the night, Mrs. Montez." Sharpay replied, and put on her happiest, sweetest face, "If I'm not too much trouble, of course. I just – Gabriella really needs to help me with some math. I have a huge test coming up, and I'm just… I suck."

"Oh of course!" Mrs. Montez said, and smiled warmly at the blonde girl, to Gabriella's happiness, "You're always welcome here. I'll go make a bit more food then. I figured it'd just be the two of us. You girls go have fun."

"Thank you, Mrs. Montez." Sharpay replied.

"Great Mom!" Gabriella smiled, "We'll be upstairs." She added, before she turned around and dashed up the stairs, Sharpay following close behind, sleepover bag in hand. They hurried into Gabriella's room, and Sharpay let out a huge sigh and threw herself on the bed.

"This is great." She mumbled. She then lifted the upper part of her body, to offer Gabriella a small smile, "Your mother is so nice. She just… She just lets me stay here. My mother would have never allowed that. But then again… She's not really much of a mother, is she?"

"Sharpay…" Gabriella said, and softly sat down next to the blonde princess, gently taking her hand. It was time to have a talk now. Gabriella didn't want to become like a mother to Sharpay, but the other girl had to have someone tell her what was to be done for now. She seemed too out of it and way too ditzy to do it herself. Gabriella couldn't let this get out of hand. It was too serious, "First off; you should give your mother more credit. It's a new experience for her, and she wants to do better. Second off; …we need to figure out what's next with your 'problem'. You – you need to take those tests to make sure, and you _really_ need to talk to Troy."

"Psh," Sharpay said and sat up completely, "based on the rumours that flew around school yesterday, my best guess is that he _already_ knows."

Gabriella frowned, "Oh yeah… You're probably right." she sighed, "But you do need to take those tests. And whatever you say, we're doing it tonight. So if those tests come out positive, you'll be able to discuss it with Troy tomorrow. If they're negative, then… Then you can reassure him tomorrow. Don't you want to know too?"

"Of course I wanna know!" Sharpay shrieked, and looked around the room perplexedly. She fiddled with something on Gabriella's bed sheet for a few seconds, and Gabriella knew that this was probably a bit of a touchy subject for her, "I just… I'm just not ready for the truth right now."

Gabriella stood up, ready to yell at Sharpay again. She had done that a lot lately, but it was only because Sharpay tended to piss her off to no end, "No, and you probably never will be!" Gabriella said, "It's a tough thing to do, but it's a thing you've _gotta_ do! And this is fair to no one involved Sharpay. It's definitely not fair to Troy. The boy loves you so much, and I know you're confused, but how do you think he's feeling right now? Think about it, Sharpay… He used to be your best friend… You guys have done so many things together… You – you love him."

Sharpay's eyes were on the bed sheet for a few seconds, and when she finally looked up, Gabriella found a few tears in the corners. She quickly sat down next to her again, and wrapped her arms around her best friend, "I… I do, Gab," she whispered, "I really do love him."

"I know Sharpay," Gabriella reassured her, feeling a bit out of place, because this was very emotional, and it was a matter between Sharpay and Troy, even if Troy wasn't there, "I know you do. But I'm just not sure that Troy knows."

"He probably doesn't." Sharpay sniffed when she pulled back, and wiped her eyes off, "I haven't exactly told him. And I haven't treated him nice. I regret that now. But before I can make things better with him, I really need to do this, don't I? I need to take that test so I know."

"Yeah." Gabriella said, and nodded softly, "You really do need to take the test."

Sharpay bit her lip and stood up. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, taking in deep breaths, before she went for the pink bag and picked it up. She looked determined to get this done now, but before she got that far, her cell phone went off. She quickly searched after it in her overnight bag, and got it out. Seeing Troy's name flash across the screen, she glanced at Gabriella; confused.

"What?" Gabriella questioned.

"It's Troy." Sharpay simply replied. Gabriella made a face, but Sharpay quickly hit ignore, "I do not have time for that right now. I have some tests to take."

Gabriella shot her a small smile, before she got off of the bed, to go across the hall to the bathroom, and help Sharpay if needed.

**--ooo--**

Troy groaned and threw his cell phone onto his bed, before he jumped head first into it. He landed on his stomach but quickly turned around to lie on his back. Why didn't she answer her phone? He really needed to speak with her. He had to call her today. He wouldn't be able to go to school tomorrow without setting things clear with her. What would he say to people when and if they came up to him, wanting to know if he was the father?

He'd already had to ignore calls from people around school and also try to talk with some of them. He'd only spoken with Jason and Duke. No other people had he dared to pick up the phone for. He knew he had to though. He also had a feeling that it wouldn't be too long before Chad dropped by. He'd texted him about fifteen minutes ago.

The phone rang and Troy bluntly thought it was Sharpay who had called back, so he just answered, "Speak to me?"

"Troy!"

That was not _Sharpay_.

"Who's this?"

"What the hell's wrong with you? How could you do this to Zeke?! You slept with his girlfriend! And now she's pregnant. I thought you guys were friends. And now she's all alone!"

Troy couldn't help but feel angry because of this. Whoever this was, was just trying to insult him and piss him off, "What the fuck?! Whoever you are, just mind your own business! You know nothing about this situation, so just leave me the crap alone! Okay? Okay." he hung up the phone and angrily threw it onto his mattress again.

"Troy!?" he heard his mother holler. He quickly stood up and moved to the end of the staircase, so she could see him, "Chad and Taylor and here." Lucy smiled, and stepped to the side, so he could see his best friend with girlfriend standing there.

Taylor gave him a small wave accompanied with a smile, "You wanna come with us outside?" she asked, "We really need to talk."

Troy looked confused, but he quickly dashed down the stairs, and high-fived Chad, who offered him a nervous smile, "We'll just take this outside, dude." He said.

Troy turned to his mom, "We'll be outside if you need me."

Lucy smiled and watched the three teens leave the house. She had a good feeling what this was all about. Chad and Taylor was of course there to talk this whole thing through with her son. Jack had told her all about the rumours floating around East High. He had heard all about them, of course. Everyone had heard about them. Even Principle Matsui. And he had asked Jack what to do with the poor girl and the rumour. Jack had told him to lay off for a few weeks until they knew if it was just a rumour.

But Jack had asked her what to do, and she had contemplated and contemplated about what to do with Troy. Jack had wanted to ask their son about this, but Lucy said they needed to give him time. After a bit of arguing she had convinced Jack to give it a few days. Maybe Troy would come to them, and maybe this was just false alarm.

Lucy bit her lip for a few seconds, wondering what to do. She knew she was prying a lot, but she had to know what was happening outside. She quickly went into the living room and looked out of the open window, hoping her son and friends wouldn't see her. She couldn't hear them, but she really wanted to know what was going on…

"We need to discuss this with you, Troy." Taylor said, as she leaned herself against Chad, to let him keep her warm.

Troy just nodded.

"First off," Chad begun, in a voice very unlike his own, "I want to say I'm sorry for the things I said about Sharpay that day when she broke up with Zeke during practise. I wouldn't have said it had I known it was you. I'm just… I'm just happy for you, dude! You- you finally got the girl you wanted!"

"Thanks…" Troy smiled.

"But second off;" Chad added, with a sour look, "duuude! What's this I hear? Sharpay? Pregnant? _Your_ baby?"

Troy bit his lip, "I'm not really sure, Chad. I haven't spoken to Sharpay through all this. She doesn't pick up the phone. I don't know what's going on with her. I don't know what she's doing. All I know is that I heard yelling from her house." He pointed behind his back with his thumb, "But that could have been Ryan telling his parents he's gay."

"Oh…" Taylor offered him a small smile, "Sharpay could still be with Gabriella. I think Gabriella mentioned something about Sharpay picking her up or whatever. It sounded important."

Troy nodded and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't really care what she was doing, he just wanted to speak with her.

"But Troy, what the hell happened to your eye!?" Chad wanted to know. He reached out to touch it, but he wasn't that gentle so Troy winced in pain.

He slapped Chad's hand away, "It was Zeke. He came to see me and he wasn't too happy. But we… eh, talked it through. And he's okay with me and Sharpay. He said he hopes it's my child. And I – I sorta agree with him." By the look they gave him, he quickly added, "I mean… not that I really wish to be a teenage father, but if she _is_ pregnant, I want it to be mine."

"Oh…" Taylor looked relieved.

"You know what the ironic part is?" Troy asked them, but didn't wait for an answer, "At –at Zeke's party, y'know? I told him to remember the condom. He said he and Sharpay were gonna have some fun when everyone left and I kindly reminded him to remember to use protection."

"Oh and then the ironic thing is that you forgot it yourself." Taylor said. She did not see the funny thing in that at all.

"You're so screwed-up, dude." Chad told him, while he shook his head so all his curls bounced.

Troy's face fell, "I really am, ain't I?"

Taylor just nodded.

**--ooo--**

"…yeah, yeah, I know!" Gabriella laughed into the phone as she leaned herself against the wall. She couldn't hide her happy smile. Zeke was just so amazing!

"But Troy can be really stupid at times too." Zeke told her, his voice a bit more low this time.

Gabriella bit her lip, "Are you – uh, are you okay with him and Sharpay, and … the baby?" she wanted to know. She kinda liked Zeke (and by kinda, she meant a lot), but if he wasn't over the fact that Sharpay and Troy was meant to be, she couldn't be with him. Because that meant he wasn't totally over Sharpay. But it would be kinda cool, if she and Zeke got together – they would have just swapped boyfriends!

"I talked with Troy." Zeke revealed, "I'm okay with it. I – I sorta had to ask him permission for something too. But really, if Sharpay's pregnant, I hope it's Troy's. I'm over her, and I do not want a baby. But if it was Troy's, he'd stick with her through everything; he loves her so much. Don't get me wrong, if it was mine, I'd take the responsibility, but it's not my dream come true."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Gabriella said, and let out a huge sigh of relief. For one thing she was happy that Zeke had talked with Troy, but she was also happy that he would take responsibility for his actions if the baby had been his. She wouldn't be able to ever get involved with a guy if he had ran from something like this, "What did you mean about asking Troy for permission?" she asked him then.

"Well, I sorta just wanted to ask him if I could ask you-"

"AAAAAAARGH!"

Gabriella let her phone drop and turned her head to the closed bathroom door. That was Sharpay screaming. But she couldn't tell if it was a happy scream or a scared or sad scream. She quickly lifted her phone back to her ear, knowing Zeke must have heard the outburst too.

"I'll see you later Zeke, I think Sharpay took her pregnancy test."

"Oh, yeah, bye." Zeke quickly said, and hung up, before Gabriella managed to say anything. Not that she really minded. Honestly, Zeke was the last thing on her mind right now.

She took a step back when she heard the bathroom door open. She held her breath when Sharpay came out, pregnancy test in her. Her hair was thrown back in a messy bun, but Gabriella couldn't read her expression.

"What did it say?" she asked.

* * *

_I know I'm getting kinda mean with the cliffhangers, but those three have been planned for a loooong time now. I hope you don't hate me. I'm sorry for the delay with this fic, but I've been so busy. I hope it didn't show that I wrote this chapter in bed while I had a fever because of the flu. _

_I thank you all for the awesome reviews. They really do keep me going. _

_**Dedication; **__SoNotEmo__. I love your reviews. I think I remember you once complaining about my style of writing, and how I didn't capture their emotions great enough (if it really WAS you?). And then you didn't review for awhile, and I thought you really did hate my writing. But then you reviewed again. And I think I've gotten better. I owe that one to you, because you flipping on me, opened my eyes. So. What do you say? Have I gotten better at the whole emotions thingy? And also, I read your profile. I got such a huge smile on my face. Thanks for mentioning my story on there – it means a lot to me. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own HSM. _


	32. Chapter Thirty Two

**Chapter Thirty Two**

**Let's Talk it Out**

"You serious?!" Tobias asked, his eyes almost bulging out of his head, as Ryan was telling him about what went down yesterday. What had happened between his parents and him. And it definitely had not been pretty. Ryan had warned him about it. He had said that they'd probably end up disinheriting him, and Tobias hadn't believed him. He couldn't understand that some parents were like that because his own were so cool about it.

"Yeah," Ryan said, and leaned himself against his locker, after closing it, "I was so angry. And then I just left. I didn't speak to them after. Not last night. Not this morning. And Sharpay left before they could confront her about the 'pregnancy' – I'm still using this air quotes because I refuse to believe it-" he quickly added, with a saying look, "– so Ashlee had to stay and make them all good again." Ryan finished.

"But you're welcome to stay with us. My Mom told me she'd kick me in the nuts if I didn't force you to come." Tobias said, and smiled happily at his boyfriend, "She's going to call your parents, I think. She's totally taken aback by all this. She loves you so much already."

"What's not to love?" Ryan asked. He was pretty okay with everything that happened yesterday. He had expected it. It was a sad thing to realize, but he had known they would freak out on him. And he believed things could have gone a lot worse. He was kinda okay with everything for now, and he would be spending a few nights with Tobias. They hadn't talked this through and worked something out yet, but he'd give the 'rents some time to let it settle.

"I wonder too…" Tobias chuckled, and tip-toed up, placing a kiss on Ryan's lips.

"Though…" Ryan added, when they pulled apart, "I think it'd be okay if they just met you. I mean… I really think it would. But we should wait until they've dealt with Sharpay, because then them meeting you won't seem so bad. It'll actually… be _great_." He shot Tobias a huge grin. He figured his plan was rather good. Sure Sharpay wouldn't mind; she'd had to go home sometime.

Tobias seemed to like that idea, "Yeah, sounds great… Shouldn't we go find your sister?"

"That'd probably be a really good idea." Ryan said and grabbed Tobias' hand, "I think she needs to go home today. I'll just tell her Mother and Father said she had to. Maybe we can just-" he was cut off by his phone going off in his pocket. He let go of Tobias' hand and reached for it, confused to see his Mother's number flash across the screen. He picked up the phone, and tried to sound cheery, "Hi Mom!"

"Hello Ryan." Viola said. She didn't sound happy with him, but she didn't sound as mad as she had done yesterday either. Ryan took this as a good sign.

"What's up?" he questioned.

"Your father and I discussed this." Viola informed him, in a monotone voice, "And we decided to talk to Lucy, since you said she'd met this… Tobias boy."

Ryan stopped walking and motioned for Tobias to come on closer so they could both hear what was going on. He held the cell out between them, and loudly spoke, "And what about that?"

"Well, since you said they really liked him, we figured they'd know what to do." Viola continued, "Lucy said that he's a great guy, and that we should meet him."

"So…" Ryan trailed off, hope in his voice and Goosebumps raising on his skin, "What are you trying to say, Mother?"

"That we want you to bring him over for dinner soon. Of course it'll be better if you stay away from the house today, since your father and I have to have a very serious talk with your twin sister." She paused, before adding, "Could you tell her that?"

"Sure, Mother." Ryan said, a huge smile coming to his lips. This was just what he wanted. Let them deal with Sharpay now, and he could go stay with Tobias, "I'll stay with Tub tonight; and I'll tell Sharpay that. You won't regret it, Mother, I know it. You won't."

"Sure, sure, Duckie." Viola said, "Bye and say hi to your… _boyfriend_."

Ryan hung up the phone and locked eyes with Tobias, "She's still getting used to the word, but this is definitely good! Really good." He kissed Tobias on the lips and grabbed his hand again, "Let's find Sharpay, and then go to homeroom."

The two guys went off in search for the blonde princess. Ryan held happily onto Tobias' hand, knowing that it'd all be okay. Now they wanted to meet him, that was a good thing. If Tobias made a good impression it'd all work out. Sure, if they didn't like him, Ryan would just almost never be home. He believed his 'threat' had worked very well yesterday. Even if their son was gay, they didn't want to lose him.

They found Sharpay by her locker, chatting away with Gabriella. She looked okay, so Ryan didn't bother asking her about a possible pregnancy test. She probably hadn't taken any yet. He just gave her a quick hug, and locked eyes with her.

"Mother and Father wants you home after school, Pay." He said, voice stern and low – just so nobody would hear them. Sharpay had enough problems with rumours as it was; he wondered how she even got around this school without people yelling at her, "You have to talk to them about this." He placed a hand on her flat stomach.

"Yes, Ryan," Sharpay said and her face lit up, as she was about to tell him something, "I actually did this-"

"Hey Sharpay!" someone yelled, and they all turned their heads to find a senior yelling at her. He was tall and had curly hair, "Could you come by after school? I'd like some good lovin' too!" he buckled his hips in their direction, before one of his friends smacked him on the head, and they went on, laughing.

Sharpay's face tightened and she turned back to her locker and watched her face in the mirror. Ryan felt his heart go for her. She was his sister and she didn't deserve this. Maybe she had slept with her best friend and cheated on her boyfriend, but a lot of people did that. It was only because she had gotten herself pregnant too that this was such a huge deal.

"Hey, it's alright Sharpay." Gabriella said, and placed an arm around her shoulder, "Everything's good, remember?"

Ryan hated interrupting them and brining this up again, but homeroom was getting closer, and they had to leave, "So Shar? You'll go home after school?"

Sharpay offered him a soft, sad smile, "Sure." She said, and nodded, "I'll just drop by Gab's to get my stuff and then I'll go on home."

"Good." Ryan said and kissed her cheek, "And good luck too."

"Yeah." Sharpay mumbled, as she watched them leave, "I'm gonna need it."

**--ooo--**

Zeke wasn't mad at Troy. He had dealt with him now, and he wouldn't yell at him if he ran into him around campus. He wouldn't exactly hug him either, but he had a feeling that Troy would avoid him a bit. It didn't matter, because he had to find Sharpay. He wouldn't hit her, you don't hit girls, but he had to talk to her. They'd spoken before, about the break-up and about her cheating, but he hadn't spoken to her about this possible fatherhood of his. He would freak out if she was really pregnant and if it turned out to be his, he'd be dead. His father would kill him, no doubt.

He was making his way through the hallways to find Sharpay. He was sure she wouldn't be in the cafeteria now that it was lunch. Too many people would be there, and she wouldn't be able to get some peace. He felt kinda bad for her, but on the other hand he couldn't help but think that she deserved a bit of pain after everything she had put him through. He knew she would be in the auditorium instead of the cafeteria, because he knew her inside and out. He hadn't been her boyfriend for nothing.

As he turned around a corner to go find her, someone grabbed his arm. He turned around on the spot, and came face to face with a girl he believed was named Sophia, "What?" he asked, perhaps a bit more harsh than he had meant to.

She smirked at him, "I just want to let you know that I'm totally on your side." She announced.

"On my side where?" Zeke dumbly asked. He was a bit confused; he'd never spoken to this girl before.

"On your side with Sharpay." She said, and placed her hands on her hip, "I totally know that Troy has been like, in love with her since he broke up with Gabriella, maybe even before that, but that doesn't give her the right to cheat on you. I feel for you, Zeke. My ex-boyfriend did the same to me!" she took a deep breath and pushed a piece of her bleach blonde hair out of her eyes, "Who did you think caught the news by listening to Sharpay and Montez in the bathroom, eh?"

By the look she gave him right then and there, Zeke was ready to hit her. But then he had to remind himself again, that you never hit a girl. He knew he hated Sharpay for what she had done, and he wasn't particularly happy with Troy either, but for that girl to listen in to someone else's conversation and then start a rumour that spread to the entire school… that was just _low_.

He gave her a look at turned around, ready to go finish that talk with Sharpay. He had a few things to say to her. About the baby. About Troy. And about how much she had hurt him. He knew it wasn't very manly, but he was a sensitive guy. He believed that was one of the things Sharpay had fallen for about him.

"Dude!"

He turned around to find Chad catching up with him. He didn't mind brining Chad with him, since he knew Sharpay wouldn't be alone. She'd probably have both Taylor and Gabriella in there with her. "Hey man." Zeke said, and shot him a grin, "I'm gonna go find Sharpay right now. Talk to her 'bout this."

"Cool, I'll join ya'." Chad smirked and the two of them finally opened the door into the auditorium.

Zeke looked to the stage, where three forms were hanging around. Sharpay was sitting on the stage, feet dangling from it, her high heels next to her. Gabriella was lying on her back, her head hanging down from the side of the stage too; her hair almost creating a halo around her; she was the first one that saw them, while Taylor was lying on her stomach, head popped up on hands, elbows popped on stage-floor.

"Zeke!" Gabriella happily exclaimed and he could see her brown eyes light up, which gave him a warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. By the glare Sharpay gave her, she quickly added a delayed, "…Chad!" too.

"Hey ladies." Chad smirked and jumped onto the stage, sitting next to Gabriella.

Zeke slowly approached the side of the stage too, "Sharpay?" he asked, and reached a hand out to grab hers, though she wouldn't let him; she ripped it away from him, "Can we talk?" he questioned.

Sharpay swallowed hard and swung her long blonde hair over her right shoulder, "I guess we kinda have to, right?" she mumbled, "Just… say what you have to say. Yell at me, scream at me… Hit me." she paused, and bit her lip, "I deserve it."

"I'm not gonna hit you." Zeke quickly said, wanting to reassure her, "I don't hit girls. But I might just yell at you. We've already covered the whole breaking up… you sleeping with someone else kinda thing, and I just…" he swallowed hard, and glanced to the side; the other three were listening closely, "I just wanted to let you know how much you hurt me by doing so."

Sharpay nodded softly and reached a hand out to cup his cheek, "I know Zeke." She whispered, a weird sparkle in her eye, "I know I hurt you. And I hate myself for that. I'm so sorry. But don't ever think that our relationship meant nothing to me, because it did. Don't you ever doubt that I loved you, because…" she trailed off, "Because I loved you with all my heart."

Zeke had never doubted that. There was no way their relationship could have been the way it was, if she hadn't felt some kind of love for him. He lifted his hand and placed it upon hers, "I never thought differently, Shar." He told her, a twinkle in his eye, "I loved you too. Hell, I may still love you at some point. But I get it – we're over." He swallowed loudly, and got ready for the tougher part, "What I can't come to terms with is that you slept with one of my buddies, Sharpay!" he said, "You slept with Troy. When you said 'I slept with someone else' I never imagined it'd be him! What went through your head?"

"Nothing, okay!?" she snapped, voice rough, "I didn't even know what I was doing. I think Troy and I were both drunk. He remembers what we were doing, but I remember nothing. I've already went over this with him, because that got me _mad_, and I don't wanna go through it with you too. I just wanna forget it, okay?"

"But-"

"Yo Zeke!" Chad cut him off, from the other side of the stage, "Cut them some slack, okay? I know I said I'd stand up for you; get mad at her and kick the guy's ass…" he trailed off, and his voice got softer, "…but that's before I knew it was Troy. It's Troy and Sharpay, dude. We've joked about them for so long. You honestly didn't see this coming?"

Zeke lowered his gaze, while Sharpay shot Chad an appreciative smile, he could see that out of the corner of his eye, "Yes, Chad… at some point, I might have." Zeke admitted, and stepped away from Sharpay, "But that still doesn't make it right."

"Look Zeke," Sharpay said, and locked eyes with him, "I thought we went through this. What does it matter who I slept with? If it was Troy? If it was someone else? I can't take that back. But let's not argue over this anymore. I honestly just want to be friends with you."

"Friends?" Zeke questioned, disbelief streaming through his voice, "I cannot be friends with you, Sharpay! After what you've done, I can't!" he paused, and stared at her still flat stomach, "I realize I might have to if that baby is mine, but that doesn't mean I want to!"

"Well, you might have to, Zeke!" Taylor said, and sat up straight, hair undone, "You guys have to be friends. You share the same friends. Sharpay might work things out with Troy, and as far as I know, you're going to ask out Gabriella! Sharpay and Gabriella are friends; you guys will see each other more."

Zeke turned his head to Sharpay, who gave him a slight smile, "I don't mind Zeke. You guys will make a great couple." She told him, voice sincere.

Gabriella giggled a girly giggle when he turned around and took her hand, even if she was still just lying there, "Gab?" he asked her, "You will go on a date with me, yes?"

Gabriella smiled, "Yup!" she said, her already warm eyes filled with hope and love, "Just say when and I'll drop my expensive Prada purse on the floor and come to you." She paused, "Oh wait, I don't have an expensive Prada purse, so I'll just drop my normal one – and _then_ come to you."

That even got Sharpay laughing, and they all really needed that. When they were all laughed out, Zeke turned back to Sharpay, "You're absolutely right, Shar." He said, and nodded, "We've discussed this before. I wanna try to be friends. And uh… You'll keep me updated on the… the baby?" he swallowed.

Sharpay scrunched her nose up in a cute way, and seemed to hold back a little, before saying, "Yeah… Zeke, listen," she bit her lip, and settled for just saying this, "You have nothing to worry about."

Zeke didn't understand the way she phrased this, but he got that, no matter what, it wasn't his problem. Which meant that he wasn't the father, which meant that he was… in the clear, "I really don't?" he asked.

"Not at all." Sharpay promised.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay let out a huge sigh as she looked through the front window of her car and to the big mansion she called her house. Her mother and father were right inside, waiting for her to come home. Ryan was with Tobias and Ashlee was next door with Tessa. She was all alone with them from now on, and she quite dreaded that. She knew she should have faced the problem head-on yesterday, but she was still grateful that Ryan had given her time. She had needed to process the facts and think about what to say and how to approach this.

Sharpay took in a deep breath and decided to just do it. She didn't want to keep thinking things over. She had to get it done eventually, there was no point in dragging it out. She had a feeling that her parents knew she was there too – her car was pretty hard not to notice. She grabbed a hold over her overnight bag and got out of the car, quickly smacking the door behind her. Then she took the few steps to the front door and opened it slowly, peeking inside. No one was standing there, ready to attack her, so she closed the door behind her, placed her bag on the floor and took off her high heels.

Just as she thought she had made it through everything, and was lucky enough to get upstairs without them noticing, her mother's voice came from the living room; "If you'd like to join us in here, Sharpay dear, it would be great." She said. Her voice was cold and low, and it made shivers move down Sharpay's spine.

She cleared her throat and cursed to herself, "Mhm, of course, Mother." She replied, voice loud and clear. She then closed her eyes and counted to three before she went down the hallway, and stopped in the door to the living room. Her parents were sitting pretty much where they had been sitting yesterday. Her father's arms were crossed and he had a stern look on his face. Her mother was pretty rigid, but Sharpay could tell she had been crying.

She didn't blame her mother for this. She had had a pretty rough day yesterday. She found out her oldest daughter might be pregnant, while her only son was gay. Any other woman would have been freaked out too. Not that Sharpay said she had handled it the right way, she could have done better, but she just understood.

"Hello Sharpay." Richard said, and lifted an arm to point at the chair across from him and his wife, "If you'd like to take a seat, please."

Sharpay didn't dare disobey him. She loved her father, but he could be pretty intimidating. Zeke had feared meeting him, back when they were going out. She swallowed loudly and took a seat, eyes wide, as if to follow every move in the room; afraid that something would happen.

"We did not like the way you ran out on us yesterday, Sharpay Karen." Richard started, as he eyed her down.

Sharpay flinched – he almost never used _both_ her names; it was a clear sign that something was wrong, "I'm sorry," she said, and cleared her throat, "but I was… I needed to clear my head. And I figured you guys would want to deal with Ry."

"Oh, so you _figured_ that?!" Viola said, and scrunched her nose up in disgust, "That was so very cleaver of you, Sharpay."

"Well, I'm sorry!" Sharpay repeated, and shrugged her shoulders, "But it was good, wasn't it? You worked it out. Ry told me it was fine. You guys want to meet Tobias! You have something to look forward to! He's such a great guy!" she was deliberately keeping their conversation on this subject; she wasn't really ready to face what was to come.

"Yeah, no doubt." Richard said and by the look he gave her, she kept her mouth closed, "But that's not really what we want to speak with you about, nor is your absence yesterday the subject on our minds." He paused, and quickly glanced at Viola, before looking at Sharpay again, "We want to talk about this… this pregnancy."

Sharpay opened her mouth to speak, and tell them all about it, but her mother schussed her;

"Cut it, Sharpay!" she said, and then lowered her voice, "_We're_ doing the talking for now."

Richard cleared his throat, before he begun his 'speech', "Now, we realize that you are a teenager, and that you're turning seventeen soon… And that you have _hormones_." He paused, as if the word freaked him out, "We knew that after you got a boyfriend you would eventually be having sex. We were okay with that. We didn't think much about it."

"We didn't want to." Viola added, trying to sound graceful – she wasn't doing a good job. This was obviously affecting her.

"But what we didn't expect," Richard said, and gave her the eyes, "was that said boyfriend would get you pregnant!"

Sharpay flinched. His voice was getting louder and louder. She was in deep trouble, she had known that before she even got home. But they looked really mad. She figured maybe they could talk this through, and she could tell them everything, but… they were determined to freak on her before they knew what even happened and how things were now.

"How could you be so irresponsible!?" Richard yelled, as he stood up from the couch. His face was all red, and his eyes were almost bulging out of his head, "How could you do this, Sharpay!? Don't you know what people will say? They're gonna talk about us, Sharpay! They'll talk about what a bad family we are! I cannot believe this. What are you gonna do? Raise the baby on your own, when the father won't help you!?"

"I will not raise this baby on my own!" Sharpay said, and stood up too, her blonde hair spilling across her neck, "Father! I have this under control, okay? I know we were stupid, and we were irresponsible, but I cannot believe you'll do this to me because of a mistake." She paused, and swallowed, "I made a mistake, but everything will work out."

"How?!" Viola asked, and stood up too. Her voice was high, higher than Sharpay had ever heard it, "How will this be okay Sharpay? You're barely seventeen!"

"Mother, I realize that, but if you'd please listen to me, I promise you that everything will work out!" Sharpay said, and then went on, to spill the beans, "It's not Zeke, it's-"

Just then two figures went stumbling through the closed door to the kitchen. All three of them turned their heads that way, only to find Troy and Ashlee on the floor, a mess of limbs and hair. Now, Sharpay knew that Ashlee had been at the Boltons, so why were they here now?

The young girl quickly got up, with as much dignity as she could muster, "Yes!" she said, blue eyes moving from Sharpay, to her mother, to her father, "I tried to tell him you were busy!" she added, before she turned around with a flick of her hair. Ten seconds later they heard the front door smack close.

Then the three sets of eyes moved to land on Troy, who was slowly moving to stand too. When he got up, he slowly dusted off his clothes and took in a deep breath, before he locked eyes with Sharpay for a long while, and then moved to watch the older Evanses.

"Well, hello Troy." Viola said, and offered him a smile, even if he was coming at a bad time.

He cleared his throat, "Viola. Richard." He said, and then sighed, "I'd like it if I could talk to Sharpay, before you finish your conversation with her."

"Troy son, you're honestly coming at a very bad time." Richard said. His voice was back to normal. The sweet, caring voice he always used with Troy and the other kids too.

"I know, sir." Troy said, and then looked at Sharpay, as he finished, "But I really need to speak with her." he turned back, "Please?"

"Alright, alright." Richard said, and gave Sharpay a firm glare, "But don't you dare leave, Sharpay Karen." He warned, "We'll be in the kitchen. The door will be open." He finished, before the two of them left the teens alone.

Troy quickly moved across the room, where he took Sharpay's hands in his, before she could even get away with pulling back, "Listen Sharpay," he said, and squeezed them tightly. He had rehearsed this speech in his head so many times today, and he was going to say it, and just get it done – then she'd know how he felt about all of this, "I know that we haven't exactly been on good terms these past weeks and that we have so many issues to work out. I know that you hate me for what I did, and frankly, I hate me too, but it was done, and you and I, we need to face the consequences together. We need to talk about this. Figure out what to do about this baby, and just-"

"Troy?"

"Yes?"

"The test was negative."

It seemed like Troy's world stood still. He didn't actually know how to absorb this piece of information. One part of him told him to jump up and be happy; to cheer that he was not going to be a teenaged father, while the other part of him told him that… that this was sad. He was not going to have a child with Sharpay, which pretty much put them back at stage one. She would probably be mad at him again.

But it wasn't an angry face that smile up at him, when he nervously, with a cracking voice, asked, "…ne-negative?"

"Yeah." Sharpay said, and nodded her head lightly, "I took… I took four different ones. I-" she paused and squeezed her eyebrows together, "I think it's safe to say that we're not gonna be parents. I guess my period is just really late because I've been so stressed about everything. I haven't really been sleeping well since we got in a fight…"

"So it's negative?" Troy asked, now actually relieved that she was not expecting, and that she didn't seem to freeze him out again. Maybe things would actually work out for him for once!, "We're not… having a baby? You're not pregnant?"

"No." Sharpay said, and he could hear the laughter bobbling in her voice, "Come here Troy…"

And then she wrapped her arms around him. He knew how much he had missed her. He'd missed everything about her; her voice, her smell, her laughter. But he'd really missed her hugs. They had always been so amazing. When she hugged him, everything seemed to be okay in the world, and she just gave him every little piece of her love. She just gave it all, making him feel on top of the world.

The two of them broke apart by the clearing of a throat. They turned to find two very happy looking parents. Viola had a huge smile on her face, her hand tugged in Richard's. And he looked excited, all the while a bit confused.

"Did I hear correctly?" he asked her, and took a step closer, Viola dragging behind him, "Are you not pregnant, Sharpay!?"

Sharpay shook her head, a huge smile across her face, "No, Daddy, I'm not." She told him.

"Come here!" Richard said and let go of Viola's hand, to catch Sharpay in a flying hug. He laughed along with her sweet giggle and swung her around a couple of times, before setting her down again, "Now," he said, voice a bit tougher, "don't you think we're letting you off the hook, 'cuz we really need to talk about this sex-thing."

"Maybe I should take you to the doctor?" Viola suggested, and quickly hugged her daughter too, "I mean, you're obviously having sex, and letting you on the pill would probably be the safest idea."

Sharpay couldn't help but smile, "I'd really like that, Mother. I think it'd be a good idea. You too Daddy?"

Richard seemed to contemplate this for a few seconds, "I do not like to think about the fact that my sweet daughter is having sex, but I guess I better get used to it…" he sighed, "It'd be alright, I guess."

The three of them shared a special moment, before Richard turned to look at Troy, who suddenly gulped, by the look he received, "And Troy." Richard said, "As I understand from your little conversation with my daughter, _you_ were the proud father to be?"

"Sir…" Troy said, as he tried to make this out, so he wouldn't look so bad, "I didn't mean to get her pregnant, I just…" he trailed off, "It's just that-"

"Relax, son!" Richard said, and let out at deep laughter, much to Troy's relief, "I thought it was that Zeke boy! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of teenage pregnancy, but if you're the boy my sweet Sharpay is sleeping with, it could have been worse." He nudged Viola in the side, "Remember what you and Lucy used to say?"

"Sharpay and Troy would end up getting married." Viola said, and placed an arm around her husband, looking happily at her daughter.

"Mother!" Sharpay said, and shot her a look, "No one's getting married yet, okay? Troy and I have something to talk about… So?" she gave them a saying stare, "Could you please…?"

"Alright, alright," Richard said, and laughed again – Sharpay could tell he was much happier now when she wasn't pregnant. She wouldn't risk the good family name now, "we can take a hint!"

And then they were out of there, this time _shutting_ the door behind them. Sharpay shook her head at her crazy parents and turned back around to look at Troy. She shot him a small smile and moved to sit on the couch. Troy slowly sat down next to her, with a good deal of space between them.

"So." He said, and nodded his head a bit.

"So." She repeated. Then she decided that this was getting them nowhere, and they had a lot to talk about. She reached across the couch to grab his hand, which she gave a squeeze, "Troy…" she whispered, "I have a few things to say to you, so if you'll please just listen?"

Troy nodded, "Of course…" he whispered.

"I've really missed you, Troy." She started by saying, just so he'd know. She really needed to get it off her chest too, "And – and I know I haven't been nice to you. And you don't deserve the shit I've thrown at you – you deserve so much better, and yet you're still here…" she trailed off, and saw he was about to protest, so she placed a hand on his mouth and gave him a look. When she was sure he wouldn't speak, she removed her hand, "And – and I forgave you a long time ago, Troy, even if you really did nothing, so the question is… can you forgive me for being a bitch to you?"

Troy didn't reply, and Sharpay frowned.

"You're doing that weird thing with your breath again… Why can't I hear your breathing?"

Then he breathed out, "I was actually holding my breath this time." he said, and chuckled nervously, "And uh… Sharpay, of course I can forgive you. I don't think you know how much I actually care about you. I just… I just want everything to be good between us." He paused, and squeezed her hand, "Can everything be good between us?"

Sharpay giggled, "I want the same thing, Troy." She locked eyes with him, "I really want to establish our friendship again, because I don't wanna lose you. Do you think we can get together tomorrow, since it's Saturday, and then just… chill at the mall? At your house? I miss everybody."

Troy ignored the pang of hurt he felt when she said 'friendship' like she did, but decided that that was far better than nothing, "Sure…" he said, voice slightly cracking, "I'll pick you up around eleven? And we'll see where that brings us?"

She laughed, "Yeah, that sounds good…" she smiled warmly at him, "So, we're ready to work past this?"

"Always." Troy said.

"Great," she said, "and I'll have to find a present for Gabriella tomorrow, I promised her something nice for sticking by me." she then leaned forward and gave him a nice, long hug again, "I'll talk to you tomorrow?"

Troy nodded and pulled back, to stand up, "Yeah…" he said and nodded again, more to himself than to her, "I'll see you tomorrow." He finished, before he shot her one soft smile and went out of the living room and into the hallway – all the way into the sunlight.

Suddenly the light seemed much brighter outside. Suddenly the birds were chipping more brightly. Sure, Sharpay had said 'friendship', but that didn't mean it could never be something more. Maybe someday it could – eventually. And tomorrow he was spending the day with her again, after so long. He wasn't going to be a father just yet, someday he'd like to be, but he was quite relieved it wasn't now. He was happy about the way things had worked out for now, and as he went around the back, to meet his mom in the kitchen, he found his dad and Tatiana playing basketball in their yard.

Taking off his shirt, he skipped across the lawn to go join them.

Tomorrow was a brand new day.

* * *

_Alright, alright. Everything's out in the open now. A lot of you guys have been questioning me about Sharpay and if she was pregnant or not, and here it was revealed. I've been telling people different tings, though. Some of them didn't believe me. Now, can you understand why Nathalie didn't believe that Sharpay was expecting a Troy Jr. and that when he was born, she died, and Troy got back with Gabriella to take care of the child? ;b _

_And then I seriously considered ending it just there – it felt so right. But then I realized that I have so many loose ends I need to tie. Plus; I had more in mind for my story-line between Troy and Sharpay. You guys wanted some real Troypay, yes? And I have around three more chapters to get something to happen… So I hope you don't mind that I'm continuing a bit longer, even if this felt like the perfect moment to cut it ;D _

_And then I'm sorry for not reading this chapter through. I really wanted to update for you guys, but I have my math exam tomorrow. And even if I am secure in this subject and have all my notes in order, I do need to look it through. So I'm just posting this and if you find any mistakes, tell me, and I will correct them. I hope you enjoyed this chapter._

_Oh, one more thing… I realize that the way Viola and Vance suddenly was okay with Sharpay and everything might not be very believable, but I figured they were just happy that she wasn't pregnant so she couldn't trash the 'important' family name. It wasn't as much about Sharpay and how she'd ruin her life as it was about them and the importance of their status around town. I hope you guys can follow my train of thoughts, if not, please tell me, and I will try to develop it further in the story. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I do not own High School Musical. _


	33. Chapter Thirty Three

**Chapter Thirty Three**

**Just a Typical Love Story?**

"_Troysie…" she whispered, and moved a warm hand up his arm, "…why are you not smiling? Are you angry with me?" _

"_No, Sharpay," Troy said, and shook his head softly, quickly looking at her, "I'm not angry with you. I just need to focus on the road. We're almost there."  
_

_Sharpay looked a bit upset, and pulled back, resting her head against the seat, "Fine…" she groaned, but two seconds later she seemed to have forgotten her 'upset-ness', and smiled brightly at him again, "I'm glad you took me home. I didn't really want to be with … Zeke… Isn't that his name?"_

"_Yeah, Sharpay," Troy said, as his car came to a stop, in front of his house, "That's his name. Your boyfriend." _

"_Is Zeke really my boyfriend?" she questioned, staring at him, very intensely. _

"_Yes." Troy answered, with a nod of his head, "Yes, he is." _

"_Why am I not dating you?" she asked, but before he managed to answer, she had continued on her own, "Oh yeah, I know why… You like Gabriella…" she paused, and stifled a chuckle, "It's so weird, Troy, 'cuz I… I had a crush on you! …before… before Bagriella came…" she paused, and stared at him. _

"_And…" she continued, her face moving closer to his, "And then I missed you all vacation, but when you came back, it was all about her… Bagriella…" she shook her head, and closed her eyes, "But now," she continued, opening them again, to stare into his deep blue ones, "Now… I'm the one with a boyfriend, and you are in love with me. Her-she… told me… her, your ex-girlfriend, she told me. And I think you are."  
_

_He swallowed hard, trying to resist the temptation her lips gave him. He couldn't. He gave her a quick peck on the lips, before pulling back again. _

"_You are…" she stated, with a huge smile "Ironic, isn't it? I should have known back then, Troy… We could have been a lot. And even if I am with Zeke, I would still… I mean, if you – if you kissed me, I'd kiss you back, even if I have Zeke. You're a lot sweeter, and hotter… I love you so much." _

_Troy closed his eyes, and she wondered in her drunken-state, what was going through his mind. She didn't think much about it though, she reached her hand out and placed it on his cheek, turning his face to her, their noses brushing, "…could you kiss me, Troy? I want you to kiss me." _

_He looked her deeply in the eyes, and then__slowly leaned in, and placed his lips on hers. She immediately kissed him back, her smooth lips moving over his rather rough ones. Her small hands moved to lay around his neck, while he somehow managed to slide her from her own seat, and onto his lap, to be able to have her even closer.__She groaned slightly, when he moved his hands beneath her dress, and to her thighs, and he trailed his kisses down her collarbone, to her cleavage. _

"_Could you-" her breath hitched in her throat, as he hit a soft spot, "Could you take me inside?" _

"_We-" kiss "-have to-" kiss "-be silent…" he managed to get out. _

_Her breath was quick and rapid, as her hand fumbled for the door handle. She found it, and pushed the car open, "…fine… just come on…" she told him, as he stumbled out of the car, and managed to lock the car. She couldn't really think of anything, even if words of wrong and right were floating through her messed-up brain. She just got lost in the kiss, as they made their way to his room…_

Sharpay snapped her eyes open, staring wildly at the ceiling. Did she just… Did she just have a 'dream' about her and Troy going at it? Well, they weren't going at it yet, but she had a feeling where this dream was leading. And more importantly… Why didn't it feel like a dream? Why did it feel more like dejá vu, something that had already happened?

She rolled onto her side and tucked her pillow beneath her face, thinking things over. She was wearing a red dress in the dream. It was pretty short and her hair was straight. She squeezed her eyes together… She had a dress like that, didn't she? She _had_ a dress like that!

Sharpay quickly stumbled out of her warm bed and into her walk-in closet, where she quickly went into the back, where all her dresses hung. She caught sight of the red dress immediately and took a good look at it, knowing it was the one from the dream. But why would she dream of herself in a dress that she had? And why would she be dreaming about her and Troy hooking up? She hated to admit it, but those kind of dreams were coming more often than she liked.

She leaned herself against a shell of shoes and tried to go back in time. Had she ever been wearing that dress… She believed she had bought it for something. A party of some sort. But it was a while ago, because she remembers, that when she bought it, she thought Zeke would love it on her… and after that, _off_ her. But when was that?

Suddenly a flash of her and Troy stumbling up the stairs in Zeke's house, holding on to each other, came through her head, and realization hit her. She had been wearing that dress before. Only once. The night of Zeke's party. And that night, was the night she had slept with … Troy.

_Oh God, _Sharpay said, and bit her lip. Could the 'dream' she had just had, have been more than a dream? Could it be a flashback – a memory of the night she shared with Troy? If it was… she had really been a cruel bitch. She knew she hadn't treated Troy right after the 'incident', but if what she had just seen was true, then she had started the whole thing. She was the one who had told him to go for it, and then after that, she'd totally been ignoring him? Been a bitch to him.

Sharpay groaned a hurried out of her closet. She couldn't believe herself. Not only had she treated him like crap, but she had also blown her secret about having a crush on him. She cursed herself a vowed never to drink again.

Sharpay snorted. Yeah, like she'd ever be able to hold that vow. She sat down on her bed, and pulled her feet up beneath herself. She had to talk to Troy about this. She had to ask him if he remembered anything from that night, because if he remembered them kissing in a car and her starting it, then… then she really owed him a bigger apology than he had already gotten. She didn't know how to go about it, though. She had to… She had to just ask him what really happened. Maybe she could tell him she wanted to talk it through a bit more, and ask him to tell her what happened?

It was the best plan she had, so that was what she was going to do. And she was going to do it today. No time better than the present. Pleased with how quick her mind worked, Sharpay stood up to find a cute outfit for the day. It was 9:30am, so she had to hurry. Troy would be picking her up around eleven.

She had just picked out a pair of red heels and was deciding to go from there, when the Messenger rang. Surprised, because she hadn't heard that sound in ages (since her and Troy became… _un_-friends), she jumped out of her skin, but quickly got her act together and hurried across her room to see what Troy was up to. He was waving at her from his window, and she quickly picked up the note he had sent her. She unfolded it with a slight smile.

_I kinda missed this sound, didn't you? Anyway, just wanted to know if we were still on for eleven? _

She chuckled and looked up again, to find him still watching her. She stuck her tongue out at him gave him a thumb-up just so he'd know. He laughed and turned around to do something, so she did the same, going at her clothes-hunt again.

She had really missed their silly friendly actions.

**--ooo--**

"So, what did you have in mind for Gabriella?" Troy asked Sharpay, as they walked hand in hand through the mall. Things were going really great. He'd feared it would be awkward, and it was a bit in the beginning, but once they had both loosened up, things were back to normal. He knew he had missed her a lot, but right now, he couldn't figure out how he could have possibly lived without her sweetness and the gentle touch of her hand.

They had a met a few people from school and while Sharpay was now contemplating going into one of those t-shirt shops to get a t-shirt that said 'I'M NOT PREGNANT!', things hadn't been too ugly. Troy had tried to explain to people that Sharpay wasn't pregnant. He'd called up just about everyone he could think of last night, and no doubt that had been spreading the rumours, but still… the people they met seemed to be just a bit curious to actually talk to Troy or Sharpay. Some boy had even joked about them going baby-shopping until Troy affectively threatened to break his nose.

Sharpay shrugged and slung her bag better onto her shoulder, "I dunno…" she bit her lip, "I was kinda thinking jewellery, because she really deserves it. It's been all about me, and she's just been the most amazing friend. She's really been listening to me moan about everything. She's the best."

"Well…" Troy trailed off, and gave her hand a tight squeeze, "Then let's… Let's go into one of your favourite stores, Pay! You could find something in there, something that'd be great for Gabriella. What do ya' say, huh?"

Sharpay giggled, "Yeah, that sounds great." She quickly changed directions and grabbed a better hold of Troy's hand, effectively dragging him with her into one of the best jewellery stores in town. Her father was friends with the manager, so she also got store credit.

"What now?" Troy asked. He felt kinda hopeless in a store like this. He had no idea what to look for. He didn't know anything about jewelleries. He hoped Sharpay wouldn't ask him about it, otherwise he'd look extremely stupid in front of her. And even if she had been all about friendship and that jazz, he still wanted to prove to her that maybe he could be a good boyfriend. If he did a good job, perhaps she'd reconsider.

"Mhm," Sharpay mumbled, and let go of his hand to inspect all these different kinds of stuff, "I'm thinking earrings. Gabriella loves earrings." She then turned to look at him, amusement streaming through her eyes, "And God, do I feel bad for the woman who has to marry you? I sure hope you'll be able to find an engagement ring."

"Oh I can find a ring." Troy confidently said and moved to one of the closest displays, where he pointed on a silver one, with a flower on it, "There's a ring. You want it?" he added, with a cocky smile.

Sharpay bit her lip and seemed to contemplate the idea, "Uhm Troy?" she then said, placing a warm hand on his shoulder, "That goes on your toes."

Troy chuckled nervously and tried to shake it off with an 'I knew that', before he let Sharpay do all the searching. She was a girl, so of course he'd have to wait for a long time. But he didn't mind, honestly. He just wanted to prove to her how patient he could be, so their friendship could get back on track. She said everything was forgiven and forgotten, but he wasn't quite sure about that. For some reason he wanted to prove himself to her.

He just wanted them to be Sharpay and Troy again. Pay and Troysie. T.B. and Shar…

He paused for a second, and bit his lip. Hmm. It was awhile since he'd last heard her use 'T.B.' in reference to him. It was way before they got in a fight too. Back when he was still with Gabriella. He wondered why that was. He'd better ask her. He approached her and slowly slipped his hands around her waist. She tensed for a moment, before she realized it was him, and turned her head around to look at him.

She looked a bit uncomfortable, but he figured she was still getting used to being close to him after everything, "What, Troy?" she sweetly asked.

"Whatever happened to T.B.?" he questioned, his blue eyes full of questions.

Sharpay giggled, "You really don't want me to call you that again, do you?" he gave her a look that said 'yeah I do!', and she continued, "Troysie… Your very smart ex-girlfriend told me what it's short for."

"What's it short for?" Troy asked her, wondering when Gabriella had told her that exactly, because back then they weren't exactly the best of friends. Gabriella actually loathed Sharpay, which was weird since they were so close now. But that was probably why she had told Sharpay. Because she didn't want them to continue their nicknames.

"Tuberculoses!" Sharpay giggled, before she pulled away from him to go ring hunting again. Troy was left with a weird look on his face; his eyes were wide, and his mouth was open. She turned around and gave him a look, "Close your mouth Troy, you might catch a bug." She giggled again and with a swing of her long blonde hair, she continued.

Troy closed his mouth and swallowed, before quickly following her, "It's quite alright that you don't call me that, Shar!" he said, and stuck his hands deeply into his pockets; he so wanted to act cool and together around her, but so far, he had been doing a terrible job.

"I thought so." Sharpay mumbled, before she stopped in front of a display, eyes huge. He could practically see the pictures in her head; her picturing how Gabriella would look in the particular pair of earrings she had seen there. "Troy?" she asked, and crooked a finger, to get him to come closer, which he did, "Don't you think these would look absolutely wonderful on Gab?"

Troy studied the pair of earrings, which were long, but not too long. They were silver and had a star on each end. It was really small, but he would expect it to glitter when she moved. In all honesty, he didn't know if this was in or out, but he believed it would look great on Gabriella, so he gave a small nod, "Sure… I'm not into this kinda stuff, but I think they're great."

Sharpay nodded, "Great," she decided, "I'll just ask them to get those. I bet she'll love them. She didn't even want me to get her anything." she paused as they went for the desk, "But you know me… I insist."

"Yup!" Troy smiled and went for her hand again, "You're really good at insisting."

"I'm a woman who knows what I want!" Sharpay shrieked, just as it was their turn. She turned around to look at the woman behind the desk and shot her a huge dazzling smile, "Hey there." She said, "We'd like those Sterling silver earrings in that display over there." She demanded, but then as an afterthought, she added, "…please?"

"I'll go get them right now, Miss." The clerk said and moved away from them. She sounded totally bored, but neither Sharpay nor Troy could blame her. Who'd want to help customers all day? But then again… She must have chosen this herself.

Sharpay turned around and gave Troy a weird look, before leaning into him, whispering in his ear, "She's a pleasant woman, y'know?"

Troy chuckled, and puffed Sharpay in the back, so she turned around, before the clerk joined them again, a forced smile on her lips, "I'm back." She told them, as if it wasn't noticeable, "Is this for a present?"

"Yeah," Sharpay said, but just as the clerk made a go for the nice gift-bags, she continued, "but I'll do that myself when I get home."

The clerk gave them another smile and then let out a huge sigh as she told them the price and Sharpay told her she better put this on the list and tell Freddie that Sharpay Evans had stopped by. The clerk's facial expression changed immediately when she realized who she was dealing with, and she followed them all the way to the door, telling them to come back soon.

"I think I'm gonna tell Freddie to get some new clerks!" Sharpay told Troy, as they stopped up, so she could fix the small plastic-box into her huge Friis & Company purse.

Troy laughed in agreement, before placing his hands in his pockets again, looking around the huge mall, "So, what's now?"

Sharpay looked up and then followed his example by looking around again. Her eyes lit up, when she caught sight of her favourite music shop, and Troy knew they'd have to go there, "Oh!" she said and had already started walking, her heels clicking against the floor, "I need a new CD, okay?"

"As always." Troy chuckled, and followed in her steps into the huge shop. She immediately went for the small metal stair-case so she could get up to the hip-hop section, but he moved to look at the newest releases, and tapped his foot to the beat of the song that was playing throughout the shop.

…_crossed my mind  
I never saw you like that  
I should've listened to my best friend  
She knew we'd be a perfect match  
_

He stopped studying the CD he was holding and bit his lip. This song was not his style, he'd never listen to anything like that. It was Sharpay's style, not that it mattered. It was just the words… He seemed to be able to relate to them in some weird way. They almost fitted him and Sharpay. Of course there would always be some aspects of the song that wouldn't fit in, but right now he so wanted to hear the rest.

Hearing that song made him sort of sad. He realized what he could have had, hadn't he screwed up. How perfect they would have been together, and that really broke his heart.

Just above Troy, on a small platform, Sharpay stopped to listen to the next words that came through the speakers. She had heard this song before, on the radio. But she had been in such a bad mood, she didn't even listen to the lyrics. It was way too happy for her in the state she had been in. But now… Things were good again, and she felt that this song was as taken out of her life.

_It's a typical love story  
We started out as friends  
We met way back when  
This is just a  
Typical love story  
The boy you never wanted  
Just steals your heart  
I never saw it comin'  
Till I fell so hard  
_

She felt like this was all about her and Troy. She remembered the feeling she had when she first realized she liked Troy as more than a friend. Their family and friends had been telling her they'd be perfect together for as long as she could remember, but she had always laughed them off. She didn't think they'd even look cute together. But she had been wrong. And one day, when they were standing in front of her full-length mirror, she had realized. She had also realized everything about him, and everything he did around that day. It was like it – BOOM! – it just hit her; she was in love with him.

It had taken hard on her, realizing that, but later she felt like nothing could crush her. She really was in love with Troy. And to her, he was the most amazing creature in this world. She had never really looked at him like that, but suddenly he just had her heart. It was weird, but it was such a good feeling. It was out of nowhere, but it was awesome.

She paused and peeked over the small fence and saw Troy with a CD in his hand, not moving. He seemed to listen to something, and it hit her… He was relating to the song too. She took a step back and dropped the CD she was holding. She felt so guilty… He looked so sad. It was her fault, wasn't it? It was her fault that he hadn't really been himself today, even if he had been trying his best. It was her fault that the real Troy hadn't been with them in weeks…

And she hadn't been happy in weeks.

She hadn't been happy since she and Troy weren't friends. She hadn't been sad about her and Zeke breaking up (not much anyway), she had been more sad about the fact that she and Troy weren't speaking. She hadn't been happy. She'd been devastated. She'd hated having to freeze him out, but she hadn't wanted to make him happy (as cruel as it sounded), because of what he had done to her. She'd wanted to make him suffer for a bit.

But as she looked down at him from her place, she realized that she hadn't handled the situation right at all. She hadn't done what a good friend would have done. She had treated him like crap. And she realized, that by keeping him from being happy, like she wanted to, she was also keeping herself from happiness.

Wasn't it time to stop this foolish 'game'? She had told him she had moved on – she had told him that they'd forgive and forget. She had wanted to do that, and she believed she had. But then why was she still fooling herself with all this crap? Why did she try to convince herself that she _wasn't_ in love with Troy? That she didn't want him to be more than a friend? She had tried to move on from him like a year ago, when she started dating Zeke. But she had revealed herself at the night of the party. She had been in love with him back then, and she was still in love with him now…

She swallowed loudly and decided that now was the time. She had to sit down and tell him that she wanted to be more than friends. That she'd like to go out on a date with him and try to be more. If he still wanted to, of course. If he didn't, she'd be okay with that. She would understand it. She forgot all about the CD she wanted and made her way down the metal stair-case, and stopped right next to him.

"So?" she questioned, and found that her voice was slightly cracking, "You wanna go have lunch?"

He looked into her hands, and saw that they were empty, "You not buying anything?" he questioned, clearly amused by that. It wasn't often she went into a shop and came out empty handed.

"No." she softly said, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tight, "I realized that… I'm not here for buying stuff. I went here to spend time with you. And I wanna sit down, eat lunch and talk like we used to."

Troy looked a bit confused by that, but squeezed her hand back nonetheless, "I'd like that, Pay." He told her, before they went out of the shop, to go look for a place to eat.

**--ooo--**

Ryan nervously pushed his hat to the side, hoping that it'd sit just the way his father wanted it to. He knew he didn't have to make a good impression in front of his own parents, but it was the general impression all in all now that counted. Tobias was there with him; dressed like he usually was. All fancy. It was no lie. He actually went to school like that.

Ryan stopped up in front of the front door. He turned to smile at his boyfriend and reached out to pull his tie straighter – the only thing he could find out of place. "I hope you know what you're going into." He said, loving shining through his eyes.

"They can't be that bad!" Tobias said, and chuckled nervously. He had no idea what he was getting into, but they were only people, and at least they had agreed to meet him, "They're your parents. You're great. Sharpay's great. Ashlee is cute. They can't be half bad when they've given you three life, y'know?"

Ryan chuckled softly and kissed Tobias briefly on the lips, "You're awesome, you know that right?"

"Always." Tobias said, and locked their hands together, as they turned to the door, "You wanna do this?"

"Mhm." Ryan said, and sounded very determined, "I really do."

"Let's." Tobias finished.

Ryan nodded before he reached a hand out a turned the knob. He hoped his parents weren't ready to attack them the minute they stepped inside, but you could never be sure with them. They weren't exactly the most 'normal' parents around. They weren't what you'd call ordinary. He opened the door slowly and the two of them stepped inside. He closed the door after them, and they both kicked off their shoes.

"I'm a little more nervous now." Tobias whispered, his high voice cracking over, which made it extremely low for a second.

Ryan swallowed, "Me too. But like you said… they're just my parents." He locked eyes with the other boy, "And I stood up to them the other day, which means I can stand up to them now. We gotta show them that you're the right guy for me, and I gotta let them know that if they don't accept me, I won't accept them as my parents."

"I really mean that much to you?" Tobias questionably whispered as they made their way towards the dining room, where they would be having lunch. It felt kinda nice to finally be meeting Mr. and Mrs. Evans, but he was also getting more and more nervous. But that Ryan would say stuff like that, made him sure he shouldn't be nervous – Ryan would never leave him.

Ryan chuckled, "Sure you do, Tub." He said, and nodded his head, "But it's also about more than just that. It's about them accepting me, and about showing them that yes I'm gay, and they should just learn to live with that fact. And you're my boyfriend. They'll be seeing a lot me of you."

"I'd love that." Tobias said, and cleared his throat, before they stepped into the dining room. Viola and Richard Evans were already sitting by the table, at each end, and turned their heads to look at their son and the boy they were dreading to meet.

"Hello Mom. Dad." Ryan said, as the two of them went closer, "This is Tobias. My boyfriend."

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Evans." Tobias said, and used his most polite voice ever. It was now or never, "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I've been looking forward to this."

"It's nice to meet you too." Viola said, and put on a smile. Tobias could tell it was forced, but at least she was trying.

"Yeah," Richard added, and then pointed towards one of the spare chairs, "and please take a seat. We'll be having lunch soon."

Tobias obeyed immediately and took the chair Richard had pointed out. Ryan sat down on the other chair, watching both his parents with huge eyes. He acted like it didn't really matter in front of Tobias because he didn't want to worry him, but truth be told – he was really worried about the outcome of this lunch.

Their lunch was served right then, and Ryan thanked their chef for it, before sipping his coke. He could tell Tobias had troubles breathing a bit, and wondered if he should go get him a bag. But it seemed like he would be okay then, because Viola turned to him, a soft smile on her face.

"So Tobias… Tell us a bit about yourself?" she asked.

"Well uhm…" Tobias fidgeted on his chair, but then mentally smacked himself. He shouldn't be showing weakness. He should be confident now, so he was gonna tough it up, "I live with my mom and my dad. A few… streets from here. And I go to school with Ryan."

"He's in the Art Club." Ryan chipped in, knowing it'd catch his parents' attention. They loved art. And Tobias was actually really good, "He's amazing. You should see some of his work one day. He can really draw."

Viola was now interested, just like Ryan had predicted, "Oh really? What kind of things to you draw?"

"Well," Tobias begun, now feeling confident, because this was a subject he knew about, "I can draw a lot of different things, but I'm best with humans and drawing what I see. I could draw you right now if that was."

"That sounds so intriguing." Richard butted in, and Ryan sighed happily. His parents were really trying. And once they got past the awkwardness and the 'just trying' they'd actually like Tobias, he knew that. Tobias was a perfect fit in this family, there was no doubt about that. "Maybe you really could draw me and Vi one day? It'd be great for the wall in our bedroom. If you want to of course."

Tobias couldn't help his smile, "Sure, Mr. Evans. I'd love that!" he excitingly said. He really hoped they'd accept him. He wanted everything to well, but it seemed as if he had caught their attention with his art. And he knew that he'd probably have to have an awkward gay-conversation later, but so far this was going really great. "Don't you think that'd be great, Ry?" he threw a question in his boyfriend's direction.

"Yeah." Ryan said, and shot his mother an appreciative smile, "That'd be awesome."

**--ooo--**

"Troy!" Sharpay shrieked and ducked just before Troy's fry hit her in the head. She looked back up at him, eyes wide, "You did not just throw a fry at me!" she exclaimed before she threw one of her own across the table. It hit him on the chest, and he gave her a mean look.

"Yeah I did!" he said, "And you just did the same. You can't get mad at me, and then do just the same."

"I didn't get mad at you!" Sharpay said as she chewed one of her fries, "I shrieked your name if you must know."

"Yeah, I think I got that." Troy told her, with a slow roll of his eye. He then reached for his coke and took a sip, before locking eyes with her again. "Sharpay?" he questioned, voice turning a bit more serious.

"Yeah?" she asked him, eyelids fluttering. She knew she had to tell him about her thoughts soon. But she could feel a serious talk coming from him, so it'd probably be the best time to break it there. She just hoped he wouldn't break her heart, even if she deserved it for how she had treated him.

"I'm really enjoying this day with you." he said, and watched as a smile appeared on her face, "I've missed you so much. I know it's probably still a bit weird for you, it's a bit for me too. But I…" he paused, "I really hope it'll all work out between us."

Sharpay nodded and took in a deep breath, hoping that he'd understand what she was about to explain to him. She didn't exactly know where to start now, but she had to get it done. She reached across the table and gently grasped his hand, "Troy…" she begun, "Today, I – today I realized something about you. And about me. And about us. And…" she knew she was getting nowhere, and that she just had to spit it out, "I guess I just really want to try and see, maybe we can-"

She was cut off by the abrupt ringing if Troy's cell phone. He shot her small smile and dove into his pocket for it. He picked it up, and Sharpay watched his face scrunch in confusion, "It's Mom." He said, before opening it, "Speak to me?"

Sharpay couldn't hear what Lucy was saying, but she could tell that her words were affecting Troy because his face went from happy to worried to sad in a total of ten seconds. He swallowed hard, "Shit. Shit." He paused, Lucy was probably saying something.

Sharpay was getting more and more nervous across the table. She had no idea what was going on, she just wished she could listen it. It was probably a huge deal.

"I'll be there in five minutes Mom." Troy said, and started fiddling through his wallet, cell phone between ear and shoulder, "Don't leave without me, I'll be right there."

He threw a couple of bills on the table and stood up, closing his cell phone, "I'm really sorry, Shar." He said, and grabbed his jacket, "But I gotta run."

"What's wrong, Troy?" Sharpay questioned and stood up too, to be on eyelevel with him. She could see panic in his eyes, and her own heart was beating faster than normal too.

"I don't have time, I'll call you later." he kissed her quickly on the cheek and then turned around to leave.

"Troy!" Sharpay yelled after him in a last sorry attempt to get him to turn around and tell her what was wrong, but he didn't stop. She watched him as he rushed out of the café and then until his form blended in with all the other people in the mall. Sharpay sat down again, confusion streaming through her body. She stared at all the uneaten food and bend down to retrieve her purse.

She had to get home too.

* * *

_I'm so sorry about the delay, guys, but I haven't had much time or inspiration this past week. I got this written though ;D I hope you enjoyed it. I know the lunch with Tobias and Ryan wasn't much, but yeah. It was all I could get down. _

_And oh- the flashback in the beginning of this chapter is actually from one of my other chapters, chapter nineteen, 'The Par-tay!', I only edited it a bit, to get everything from Troy's point of view out, since this was Sharpay's 'dream'. Haha. _

_Mhm. The whole thing about T.B.; I dunno if you remember, but in the beginning of this fic, I had Sharpay call Troy that. One of my friends is called that (with his initials, of course) and I thought it was sort of cute. But then someone told me what it was short for, and I sorta stopped using it. Now I realize that must have been extremely weird, me stopping that abruptly, so I decided to get a closure about it in this chapter. _

_Please leave me a review with your thoughts. They mean the world to me. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own HSM or the song 'Love Story' – that's Katharine McPhee. _


	34. Chapter Thirty Four

**Chapter Thirty Four**

**Grandma Bolton**

Sharpay quickly made her way into her house, shutting the door behind her with a huge bang. She threw her purse on the staircase and bent down to take off her heels. She supported herself with a hand on the wall, getting both of them off, before hurrying through the house.

"MOM!?" she hollered, pocking her head into the kitchen, but when she saw no one was there, she hurried towards the living room instead. She had to speak with her parents; she had to know what was going on – why Troy had been so worked up. She bet her parents already knew, "DAD!?" she exclaimed, and went into the living room, where she was happy to find her mom, dad and Ashlee.

She paused when she saw how bummed they all looked. Viola was sitting on the couch, arms wrapped around Ashlee, who was crying. Richard Evans was pacing back and forth, but had stopped and turned to look at her when she entered, "Dad?!" she said, breathing slowly out, she could tell that something was seriously wrong, "Dad, what happened?" she swallowed hard and walked to him, stopping right before him, looking into his eyes.

"Sharpay honey," Richard said and reached a hand out to stroke a piece of untamed hair behind her ear, "you're not gonna like this." He seriously said.

Sharpay glanced briefly at her mom and sister, before locking eyes with him again, "Tell me, Dad." She demanded. She was very nervous to know what was up, but she also knew she couldn't not know. She had to know, because obviously it was serious, and obviously it was affecting all of them. "What is it?"

"It's Grandma Bolton." Richard said, trying to let her know as gently as possible, "She's at the hospital. She had a heart attack."

Sharpay's hand immediately flew to her mouth. Did he just say that Grandma Bolton had a heart attack? That couldn't be true. Grandma Bolton had always been such a strong, old woman. In all the years Sharpay had known her, she'd never been ill. She was such a fresh, old lady. She was still driving and she went on bike rides and walked around town all day. No one was fresher than her.

She couldn't have had a heart attack. That just wasn't fair… She couldn't be in the hospital. She wasn't supposed to get ill. She wasn't. She was supposed to be okay forever and always be there for them.

Sharpay could feel the tears pressing on behind her eyelids, and she quickly stepped forward, into Richard's open arms. He wrapped them tightly around her shoulders, whispering soothing words into her ear. She could hear her sister crying again on the couch, Viola whimpering too. She stepped back again, tears still sliding down her cheeks.

"Will…" she paused and breathed out, trying to calm herself better, "Will be she okay, Daddy? Is she alright?"

Richard grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, "They say that it's really bad, honey." He said, hoping this wouldn't cause her to break out in hysteric cries, even though he knew it probably would, "They don't know how much times she has left – we … we better get to the hospital."

Sharpay squeezed her eyes tightly and held back a sob, hoping that the tears wouldn't find their way through her closed eyelids, but they did. They slid all the way down her rosy cheeks and she swallowed hard moving to the couch, to sit next to her mother and Ashlee.

"We should probably get going." Viola said, as she kept stroking Ashlee across the hair.

Sharpay sniffed, "Where's Ryan?" she asked them, as she stood up, grabbing Ashlee's hand tightly. She needed it to keep herself steady; she needed the support as much as Ashlee did.

"He took Tobias home." Richard told her, as they hurried out of the living room and into the hallway, to get their stuff, "He'll be at the hospital as soon as possible."

"Okay." Sharpay said, and closed her eyes for a second, to let this all sink in. She couldn't believe that her perfect day had just gone this bad…

**--ooo--**

They met Ryan right outside the hospital and the Evans family entered the waiting room together. They could see the Boltons immediately. Lucy was grasping Tessa's hand tightly, obviously she had been crying, because her eyes were red, and she was still sniffing. Tatiana looked a bit more collected as she sat in one of the red plastic chairs, reading a sports magazine. Troy was sitting down too, leaned back in the chair, his eyes closed. Jack was obviously still worried about his mother, because he was nervously tapping his foot.

"Hey!" Tatiana said, and breathed a sigh of relief, when she saw them all. She stood up and hugged Ryan tightly, before squeezing Ashlee and then Sharpay. "It's great you're here now."

"How is she?" Richard asked, and patted Jack on the shoulder, before sitting down next to him, Viola by his side.

"She's doing better." Jack replied, with a slight shrug. This was obviously very hard for him to say, "Her heart is somewhat stable again, but they say they can't guarantee for her to make it through the weekend."

"I'm so sorry, Jack." Viola replied, and leaned forward, giving his hand, which was on his knee, a little pat in reassurance. "I hope she's gonna be alright. We can always hope. She's such a strong, frisky woman."

Jack shook his head in sorrow, "They say that this has taken it's toll on her. It's been floating through her body for awhile until it struck." He paused and bit his lip, "Of course I'll pray too, but I'm afraid we're going to have to say goodbye soon."

Sharpay chocked back another sob, wanting to be strong for everyone. She could see Troy was down, but she didn't want to disturb him right now. He probably wanted to deal with it himself. She was happy that Grandma Bolton was okay for now, but it was horrible to think that they'd lose her soon. She took a few steps closer to Jack and sat down on his lap, placing an arm around his shoulders, "Cheer up, Jack." She whispered and lightly kissed his cheek, "At least she hasn't been suffering for years, y'know?"

Jack turned his head, his eyes lighting up a bit, when they locked with hers, "You're right, Pay." He chuckled, and hugged her tight. It was just what he needed; a good hug from Sharpay to make him feel better.

"Mhm." She mumbled, before pulling back, "You'll see. We can only hope she wakes up so we can have another chat with her."

"Yeah, I'd want to." Tessa chipped in.

Ryan nodded, "But maybe she'll be asleep for some time." he didn't mean to sound heartless; he loved Grandma Bolton as much as everyone else. She hadn't just been a grandma for Tessa, Tatiana and Troy – she had been a grandma for all of them. They had all gone to stay with her several times during the holidays and she had always been more than well enough to bring them places, so they wouldn't be bored. "Are any of you hungry? We were in the middle of lunch when you guys called us."

"I'm hungry." Troy said, and opened his eyes, to look at them all, "Sharpay and I hadn't even ordered yet."

"Yeah," Sharpay said, and offered him a small, reassuring smile, "I'm kinda hungry too."

"Do you want to go to the cafeteria?" Tatiana asked, and stood up, ready to do something. Sure, she was sad, but she wasn't born to wait. She was born to run around all day, and she knew their parents would get them as soon as something changed. If she woke up, of course they'd come get them, "We can get some food?" she turned to her baby-sister, "You hungry, Tess?"

Tessa nodded and moved out of her mother's grasp, "Yeah, I actually am."

"Then let's head down there." Ashlee chipped in, and moved to grab Sharpay's hand tightly, to have something to hold on to. She really needed it to keep on; she was never good with stuff like this. She always got so teary-eyed. It was expectable when it came to stuff like this, of course, but normally, she'd always cry too.

They all agreed at set off to the cafeteria. Ryan had some money so they all expected him to pay for their food. It was not a long walk to the cafeteria, so they all soon found themselves looking at different sorts of icky-hospital-food. There wasn't really anything any of them wanted, but it was better than nothing. Especially Troy and Sharpay were hungry since they hadn't eaten since breakfast. They all settled for things that looked somewhat eatable and went to find a table. They choose a rectangular one by a window, with just six seats, and soundlessly started eating their food.

After a couple of minutes, Tatiana decided to break the awkward silence. She didn't know what exactly to say, though, so she decided to question Troy and Sharpay about everything, "So guys…" she said, and looked at Sharpay and then Troy, "You worked everything out then?"

Troy was sad, but this was such a happy thing, he couldn't keep a smile from coming to his lips. He gazed at Sharpay, who was sitting across from him and reached a hand out to grab hers, "Yeah." He said, and nodded.

"We talked everything through." Sharpay finished, and gazed at him too, before looking at Tatiana, "Everything's good again."

"Well, that's awesome." Tessa agreed, as she chewed a dry French fry, "I've really missed having you around, Shar. It's been sorta boring." She paused, and glanced quickly at the other kids, "No offence guys." She then added.

"None taken." Ryan said, between sips of his soda.

Ashlee giggled, "It's great that everything's good now. Except for Grandma Bolton of course." She paused, and played with her thumbnail, "But then again… She's such a strong lady – she'll make it through. Don't you think so?"

"I sure hope so." Tessa mumbled.

"Yeah, me too." Sharpay said, as she felt that sad feeling in her chest again. She couldn't believe they were all gathered here because she was feeling ill. It was not good at all, even if it was the first time in a long time, they were all together.

"But let's not talk about that!" Troy said, trying to sound happy. He didn't want to think about it right now, he just needed to relax and forget about it for a bit.

"I agree." Tatiana determinedly said, and reached across the table to snatch a fry from Sharpay.

"_Hey_!" the blonde girl said, and tried to slap Tatiana's hand away, but she was too slow; Tatiana had already retired back into her seat, which was out of Sharpay's reach.

"Hay is for horses, Payday." Tatiana giggled, before she stuck the fry into her mouth, and chewed it annoyingly slow, just so Sharpay could see her fry being cut into pieces, because of Tatiana's wide-open mouth.

"Haha, you're so funny." Sharpay sarcastically said, tipping it off with an eye roll. Tatiana always said crap like that, and even if it was annoying at times, she still loved her for it. The older girl could break any tension people had, just with a joke or a weird expression.

"I do try." Tatiana sheepishly deadpanned, before she took a sip of Tessa's sprite. What was up with that woman today? Did she _have_ to taste everyone's food before she was happy?

"How's it going with David?" Sharpay questioned, and turned to Tessa, who was done with her food, now trying to rest her head on her hands. It was kinda tough, because she was really tired, and her eyes seemed to fall close no matter what she did.

This seemed to turn a light in her, though, "Good!" she said, her eyes smiling, as she wanted to share everything with the girl she looked up to the most; Sharpay knew how much Tessa adored her, and she also knew she had neglected her a lot these past weeks, "We were together just earlier on, too."

"When are we gonna meet him?" Tatiana asked, butting into their conversation. They hadn't expected anything less, so Ryan just reached a hand to the side, and covered her mouth with it.

Ashlee shot her a look, "With that attitude, I'm betting on never."

"That's a pretty good guess, yeah." Tessa agreed, nodding her head a bit.

Sharpay was amused. This was what she missed so much. Tessa acting like such a grown-up, Tatiana acting like a fool. Ryan being his usual self. Troy being cute and funny and caring. And Ashlee just being her; butting in now on then, adding the occasional comment. She liked to think of herself as one of the main speakers. She couldn't keep quiet, and she was happy that these people didn't care.

"Oh c'mon, sis!" Troy said, and gave her a stern glare, "You've met all my former girlfriends. I should meet your boyfriend, too, y'know?"

"I don't think that's fair." Tessa said, as that was the most natural thing in the world. It didn't make much sense, though. Only in Tessa-land, it did, and that was dangerous territory.

"How's that not fair?" Troy asked, squeezing his eyebrows together in a questionably manner.

Tessa sighed – a huge one -, as if it bothered her that she had to explain this to him. She placed her hands on the table and talked to him, as if he was a five-year-old, "I'll explain it to you, Troy…" she paused, "It is fair, that I have met your only girlfriend in your entire life, and that you haven't met mine, because… Because that girlfriend was Gabriella, and let's all agree – she wasn't a very good girlfriend, was she?"

Troy looked confused and amused all at once, while Sharpay couldn't help but crack a smile, even if it was her best friend they were talking about.

"Let's face it," Tessa continued, and gestured towards Sharpay, "she was no Payday!"

This immediately made Sharpay freeze. Tatiana was nodding in agreement, Ryan was fixed on his food, having finally moved his hand from Tatiana's mouth, while Ashlee was listening in closely. Troy seemed frozen for a few seconds too, before he chuckled lowly, glancing at Sharpay, who was still frozen in place.

She couldn't believe that Tessa would bring this up today. The very day she had decided to talk with Troy about her feelings and the possibilities of starting a relationship, and there she went mentioning it. It made it even worse that she actually couldn't talk to Troy about it. It would be way too inappropriate to talk to him about it now, when Grandma Bolton was this ill; she could go any second, they said. It wouldn't be right to discuss this with him now.

There was a silence between the six children, where they just stared uncomfortably at each other. Ashlee lightly scratched her head, while Tatiana stuffed her big mouth with a bunch of fries. Sharpay took in a deep breath and begged her mind to come up with something to say. She had to break this silence before it became too embarrassing.

What to say, what to say? …eh, she could just-

"SHARPAY!?"

Sharpay looked up to find her father coming towards them. She quickly bit her lip and stood up, "I have an alibi!" she said, pushing her chair back, so she could do whatever it was, he wanted her to do. She had no idea what she had done now, but she suspected it wasn't too good.

Richard rolled his eyes and stopped next to their table, "Everyone," he then said, and Sharpay was briefly relieved because this wasn't about her; she even sat back down again, "Grandma Bolton woke up." Richard finished.

Ashlee's face lit up, "She did!? Is she okay?"

"Can we go see her?" Troy asked, the former awkwardness quickly forgotten; he was just happy that his grandma was awake, and the possibility of seeing her made him happy. They had to do it now, before she felt bad again, and maybe wouldn't even be awake.

"Yeah," Richard replied, and nodded his head, "she really wanted to see you, Troy. She had something to discuss with you." he then nodded towards the other kids, "After that, you can all go in."

"Great." Tessa said, and quickly stood up and gathered her things together so they could get on the way. She motioned for the others to do the same, and they did, quickly throwing everything in the garbage.

"Let's get moving." Ryan said, and finally spoke again. He had been awfully quiet since they got there. Sharpay knew that he, of course, was upset, but this was more than just about Grandma Bolton. She knew that. He even trailed behind the rest of them when they went upstairs again, so she did the same, so she could ask him about it.

"Ryan?" she whispered, so the others wouldn't hear her. They wouldn't anyway, they were moving so quickly upstairs, they wouldn't even notice they were behind, "What's up? You seem bummed."

Ryan glanced briefly at her, "I'm thinking." He replied, and then took in a deep breath, "About everything. The dinner. Tobias. Mother and Father."

"Oh yeah!" Sharpay said, and mentally smacked herself for forgetting that the important lunch was today, "With all this happening, I forgot to ask you how that went? Did Mother and Father totally slaughter Tobias or what? Was he hurt?"

"It went very well, actually." Ryan replied, nodding his head, as Sharpay hit the elevator-button, "They asked him about his life. When they found out he did art, they were thrilled."

"Well, that's good, I suppose." Sharpay replied, and smiled when the elevator came, and they stepped in, "If they like him, all this is no big deal. You can be together."

Ryan sighed, "It seemed too good to be true, if ya' know what I mean?" she didn't answer, so he slowly continued, "They changed their minds too fast, y'know? They… It seems surreal that they suddenly think it's okay. Tobias was happy they treated him like a human, but I found it odd."

Sharpay nodded softly, "Mhm, I get your point, Ry." She said, as they stepped out of the elevator, onto the right floor, "But maybe you should give it some time. I know it's freaky, but maybe they'll actually come around for real. At least they're trying."

"Yeah, I know." Ryan said, and gave her a sideways smile, now feeling a bit more cheery, "They probably will, y'know. They came around the idea of you with Zeke and they weren't too thrilled in the beginning of that relationship either."

"Well, there you go!" Sharpay said, and puffed him in the side, "There's one thing I don't like about them, though. One thing I'll never understand." She continued, and by the look he gave her, she kept on going, "Dad wasn't mad at me for getting pregnant and ruining my life. He was mad at me because it'd ruin the good family name. He was afraid of what people would think." She paused, and looked up at her twin brother, "That sorta hurt me, y'know?"

Ryan nodded, "I know. I have a feeling… that the thing with Tobias and I isn't because we're two guys – it's just because of that." he sniggered, "I guess that's the way our parents are, we can't really change that, can we?"

"I guess it'd be no use to tell them, would it?" Sharpay questioned. She'd been debating whether or not to bring it up with her father. She had no idea if it was a good idea or not, but she had thought a lot about it.

Ryan paused, because they soon reached the waiting area, and they needed to finish this, "I don't think it is, Shar." He said, "It'll get us nowhere. Just… go with the flow."

Sharpay chuckled nervously, "Yeah, I guess." She stood still for a few seconds, before she reached up and enveloped him in a tight hug, "I love you, Ry. Thanks for being my brother." She whispered, before she pulled back.

"I love you too, silly twin." Ryan jokingly said, and bumped his shoulder with hers, as they came into view of their family. Troy, Tatiana, Tessa and Ashlee were gone. Viola was studying a magazine. Jack was resting his eyes. Richard was talking on his business phone, and Lucy smiled when she saw them.

"Sharpay!" she said, and patted the seat next to her, "I need to speak with you. In private."

Sharpay looked confused; wondering what she had done now. It seemed like everyone was calling her name recently, and that made her worried all the time.

"Ryan, why don't you go join the others?" Lucy questioned, hinting it in her voice, that he really ought to go in there, because this was private.

"I'm on my way." Ryan smiled, but curiously glanced over his shoulder at them, before he turned a corner.

Sharpay turned her face to Lucy, giving her best friend (boyfriend?)'s mother her full attention. She had known Lucy all her life, and she knew she'd never really get mad at her, or yell at her. She had a feeling that this was one of their more serious talks, though. She had no idea what it could be about, but Lucy sometimes had something to discuss with her. Like back when (and this seemed liked _forever_ ago!) she and Jack had asked her if she was on birth control, the night after she slept with Zeke for the first time.

"So…" Lucy said, and gently patted Sharpay on the knee two times, before her hand went back to her own lap, "I have a few things I'd like to ask you about."

Sharpay nodded, still feeling a bit nervous about it, but not too much, "Fine… Just eh, just ask, I guess…" she couldn't help but let out a nervous giggle.

"Mhm, it's about you and Troy." Lucy clarified, so Sharpay knew it, and could feel somewhat prepared, "It's nothing too serious, though. I just… I feel like I haven't really spoken with you through this whole drama between you two." She paused, and offered Sharpay a smile, "I've always known what went on in your life, and I certainly don't wanna stop now. So… Are you okay? Really? I want you to be honest with me. Have you truly forgotten everything?"

Sharpay couldn't help but smile a sad smile, "I have…" she said, nodding slowly, "I've been dealing with a lot of stuff, eh, not only between Troy and I, but I'm okay now. I've missed Troy so much – I've missed all you guys – and I love him. I just wanted us to be okay again. But I needed time to absorb everything."

"That's understandable." Lucy said, and nodded her head lightly, "I mean, anyone would have been confused. I'm just glad that everything's alright between you two again." she paused, and tried to fight herself, but it seemed like her mouth had a mind of it own, "I dunno if you've noticed this, but Troy… Troy really loves you. Not just in the friendly way either. He's completely in love with you, Sharpay."

Sharpay stared at her, and swallowed. She knew that. She had no idea how she could have missed it before, when she was with Zeke. She had probably been too focused on that relationship to really notice, which she hated herself for now. She hated that she had hurt him that way. And she knew that he still adored and wanted to kiss the ground beneath her feet; he'd do anything for her, "I know…" she softly said, her voice barely audible, "I know he is."

Lucy nodded, happy to know that Sharpay was a where of this, "I'm glad, Sharpay. I – I just… I want you to really know how much he cares. It's been crazy with everything going on, but I'm happy you can see that. I'm happy you know."

Sharpay leaned back in the chair, letting everything sink in. She wanted to tell Lucy all about her thoughts and how she felt, but she had doubts about whether it was a good idea or not. But she knew Lucy would understand; she'd understand how confused she had been, how confused she still was, but also how hard this was for her; how she just wished she could turn back time and make this good before it went wrong.

"Lucy, I…" she paused and closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, "I love Troy. I'm in love with him." She looked the older woman in the eye, and noticed what sparkle they just got. It felt so good to finally admit it out loud; it made it more real. "I was going to tell him today, but before I managed to get myself together, you called. I'm gonna speak to him soon, I can tell you that much."

A smile broke out in Lucy's warm face and she reached forward, pulling Sharpay in for a deep hug, "I'm glad, Sharpay." She whispered, her hand moving reassuringly down her backside, "I'm glad to hear you say that." she pulled back, and continued, "I'm not gonna speak to you about the pregnancy. You've probably already had enough of that from your parents, right?"

"Yeah…" Sharpay said, and nodded slowly.

Lucy chuckled, "Great." She then sighed, "Just tell him soon, okay?"

"I promise." Sharpay said, before leaning back in her chair, to rest her eyes. Lucy stood up to leave, and she was happy to have a silence; to get a moment to herself. She actually felt pretty good about getting everything off of her chest right now. She hadn't thought she would, but it felt awesome.

"Sharpay?"

She opened her eyes to find Tatiana smiling down at her, her short hair ruffled, and her fringe covering her blue eyes, "Grandma asked for you. We've all left, she wants to see you."

"Oh…" Sharpay mumbled, as sat up straight. She had a feeling that this could most likely be the last she ever talked to Grandma Bolton. She was going to have to treasure that.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay peeked into the room, holding her breath. Her eyes immediately fixed on the old woman in the bed. She had tubes out her nose, and was hooked up to all sort of things, but her eyes were open, and she smiled when she saw Sharpay standing there.

"Sharpay, honey." She said, her voice raspy and raw, "Come over here, sweetheart."

Sharpay sighed in relief, to see that she was doing okay, even if she looked weak, and went into the room, closed the door behind her and crossed the room. She took a chair and sat down next to the old woman, immediately covering her cold, wrinkly hand with her own warm one.

"Hi…" she whispered, bending down to kiss her cheek, "How are you doing, Grandma?"

Grandma Bolton managed another smile, "I'm doing just fine, sweetie." She begun, and breathed heavily, "This was not the way I had imagined it'd all end for me, but I can't do much about it."

"Don't be silly, Grandma." Sharpay said, and shook her head lightly, blonde hair flying everywhere, "This is not the end for you. You have many years left. You're still young and frisky."

Grandma Bolton tried to chuckle, but it didn't really come out, because she was too weak to really move any muscles; it hurt too much, "You're so sweet to me, Sharpay. But there's no denying it. I'm old, and I'm weak. I just wanted to speak with you, to make sure you were alright."

"I'm just fine, Grandma." Sharpay reassured her, her thumb making lazy circles on the back of the old woman's hand, "I couldn't be better."

Grandma Bolton seemed to take it in, and followed her slight nod by a deep intake of air, "How's things between you and Troy?" she wanted to know.

Sharpay froze. What was it with people today? Did everyone have to ask her about her and Troy? Sure, it was a rather important subject, and people were probably wondering, but Grandma Bolton hadn't even known that they weren't on speaking terms. Sharpay and Troy used to be adored by the old woman. She had countless of pictures of the two of them from when they were just kids up to just this year. She loved the two of them together, and she had always asked Sharpay questions about them, so maybe this was just a regular question; just like any other.

"We're fine, Grandma." Sharpay quickly said. She didn't want to worry her, and it was the truth – sort of. They had worked everything out now, so they were fine… right?

"Hmm." Grandma Bolton said, and looked up at her, her blue eyes (a thing all Boltons had) full off questions, "Did he ask you out yet?"

"What!?" Sharpay said, slightly amused. Had everyone – except her – known that Troy liked her? It surely seemed like it.

Grandma Bolton frowned, "He's just liked you for so long, Sharpay." She told the young girl; she wanted to get this off of her chest. She wanted to make sure that the two teens were happy and together, before she left the world. He knew they were meant to be, and she couldn't bare it if they were both too afraid to take that step, and they therefore wouldn't experience what life was all about. Finding your place in the world, and get true love.

Sharpay bit her lip, and nodded slowly, "I know that, Grandma."

"And you've liked him too, I know." Grandma Bolton continued, being the over-observant person she always had been, "I just want you two to work things out and be happy. Why hasn't it happened yet?"

Sharpay chuckled, "Grandma…" she whispered, and clasped her hand tighter, "We've had some troubles, but I… I hope we'll work it out. We've both made many mistakes, but I think it's forgotten now, and I really hope we'll take that step, I just-" she paused, "-I'm just confused. I don't want to move too fast."

"Sharpay," Grandma Bolton sad, voice still low, but more determined, "life's so short. It's _too_ short. I've realized that by ending up here today. My life will be over soon, and I just… I know that you – hopefully – have a long life ahead of you. But before you know it, it's over, and you'll lie here and regret everything you didn't do. You'll be out of time. And before that happens…" she paused, and shot Sharpay a gentle smile, "…make yourself happy."

Sharpay couldn't help but let a lone tear slide down her cheek. This was a moving speech; she hated to believe that it really was the end for the old lady, but she seemed so weak. And that she told her about life and happiness really trigged something in her. Grandma Bolton was right – she had to make herself happy. She had to speak to Troy soon. Real soon. She just had to.

She leaned down and placed a long kiss on the old lady's cheek, "I love you, Grandma." She whispered, before letting go of her hand, and slowly moving out of the room. She hoped she'd be able to see her, and talk to her again, but she had a feeling she wouldn't. It was almost the last call.

She didn't do much, but just motionlessly walked back to the waiting area, and stopped before everyone. They all looked up at her with questions in the eyes, and she nodded slightly to Jack and Lucy; it was their turn again. They had to be by her side.

Lucy smiled gently at Sharpay, before she grabbed her husband's arm, so they could go see his mother.

* * *

_There you have it. You were all curious as to what the phone call was about, and some of you guessed someone had been hurt. It was Grandma Bolton; her character has been in mind for this all along, because I wanted someone to really trig Sharpay to talk to Troy. And she'll do that in the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this, I tried getting it up as fast as possible. I'm off school in a week, and then I only have to study for four tests, where only one of them is a real test, that actually matter. So hopefully this will be finished soon ;D_

_And then I realized that in some of my newer chapters I called Mr. Evans for Vance, because that's his name in HSM2, but before that one came out, I named him Richard in this story. I went back and corrected everything I could find, but if it suddenly says 'Vance' it's really Richard. I'm sorry if it has confused anyone._

_Thank you all so much for the awesome reviews; they really made me smile. Please drop off another one._

_**Disclaimer; **I do not own HSM._


	35. Chapter Thirty Five

**Chapter Thirty Five**

**Bad Things Turn Good **

Sharpay looked around the full living room, resting her head against the soft couch. She was so tired and this was all too much. Another dream of her and Troy had kept her up all night. She had woken up from it and then she hadn't been able to sleep after because she kept thinking about it. It was the memory of their night. The one she had the other day too. As more as she dreamt it, she was surer that this was not something her brain was making up; it was real – and God, was it great?

She hated that she kept dreaming about it. It was like her brain told her to go on and tell Troy about her feelings so they could be together, but because of Grandma Bolton and her sudden death, she hadn't had the heart to tell Troy about it. It wasn't really respectful towards Grandma Bolton if she went on and told her now. Even if that was what Grandma Bolton had wanted. She had been just about to yesterday, but then Troy had started crying because of his beloved Grandmother and she had had to comfort him instead. So even if it would be okay for Grandma Bolton if she told him now, he still wasn't ready to hear it – he was too caught up in everything.

She really wanted to tell him though. He looked happier today, too. He was sitting across the room with Chad, Taylor, Zeke, Gabriella and Ashlee. They were all chatting away. He actually laughed of something that Chad had said. It seemed like it was closer to him now that she had been put to peace and this was her funeral feast. He felt more at ease, she could tell. And it didn't look like it bothered him that Gabriella and Zeke were holding hands and stealing the occasional kisses. It didn't bother her either. Those two deserved each other. They deserved to be happy after everything her and Troy had put them through. And they really looked happy.

She lowered her gaze when Gabriella lifted her eyes and tried to meet hers. She didn't want it to seem like she was spying on them. Gabriella probably wouldn't think so either. She also had something for Gabriella. She hadn't gotten around to give her the earrings yet, and they were safely tucked in her purse. She wanted to give them to her today, so she smiled back, when Gabriella shot her one.

'Come on over' Sharpay mouthed and patted the seat next to her, which was empty after Ryan and Tobias had left to find Tatiana.

Gabriella whispered something to Zeke and jumped off of his lap. She crossed the floor quickly and sat down next to Sharpay with a huge smile, "Hey." She told her.

"You seem happy." Sharpay observed and turned to the side, to be face to face with Gabriella.

Gabriella beamed, "I am. He's so amazing Sharpay. I have no idea why you broke it off with him."

"I found someone even more amazing." Sharpay said, and glanced to the side, where Troy was watching them both. He caught her looking and turned back around, continuing something with Ashlee.

"Mhm," Gabriella said, nodding her head. Of course she didn't agree with her, _she_ found Zeke more amazing, but she had been dating Troy for a reason. She had been there, "and how's it going with you two? Something tells me you're still not together? What's up with that, I thought I told you to get it together?"

Sharpay hung her head, "I know," she said, and fidgeted with her fingers, "you did. I was about to talk to him, too. But then everything happened, and he was so sad. I really wanna tell him, though. Grandma Bolton said to me that I had to make myself happy, because life's so short."

"She wanted you two to get together too." Gabriella stated with a slight smile.

Sharpay nodded, "Seems like the universe does."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Gabriella questioned, and scooted closer to her on the couch, "What is holding you back, Sharpay? He loves you so much. I know he's been sad this past week, that's understandable, but maybe you should just tell him today. We all know it'd make him happy."

"You really think so?" Sharpay questioned, voice soft. She was really insecure. She had been thinking things over, but she was so worried it'd be inappropriate to talk to him this day. But if Gabriella said she should, then maybe it would be okay for her to do it.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Are you dumb, Sharpay?" she asked the blonde girl, "Of course it'd make him happy. It'd make everything better, and you know it too." She paused, but then added, "Is this about him or is it really about you?"

Sharpay sighed and leaned her head back onto the couch briefly, before looking back at Gabriella, "I guess it's also about me. Even if I know he'd still want me, and that he loves me, I guess I'm a little insecure about this talk. What if he shoots me down?"

"Sharpay!" Gabriella exclaimed; she couldn't believe that girl sometimes. Where would she get an idea like that? Troy would never shoot her down. That was crazy-talk.

"I'm sorry." Sharpay quickly said, afraid that Gabriella would yell up about everything and Troy would overhear, "Will you shut up, though, if I _promise_ to talk to him today?"

Gabriella couldn't agree on that quick enough, "That's a deal." She said, and shot Sharpay that smile of hers.

Sharpay giggled softly, before she remembered what it was, she had to give Gabriella. The other girl had probably forgotten everything about a present, but Sharpay had said she would buy her one, and therefore she had done it. She bent down to get her purse and then smiled at Gabriella, "I have something for you." she said, and reached into the purse, her fingers finding the small package.

Gabriella cocked an eyebrow, "You have? Why?" she questioned, but then couldn't help herself, "What is it?"

Sharpay fixed the earrings out of her purse, "They're are for you because you're such a great friend." She said, and reached with her free hand for Gabriella's right hand. She then placed the small package into her hand, and used both of hers to close Gabriella's fist around it. She gave her a look, "I hope you like them. Troy and I picked them out."

Gabriella retrieved her hand and slowly uncurled her fingers with a slight smile on her face. She picked up the miniature paperback and carefully opened it. When the paper was torn apart, she turned it upside down and the earrings landed in her hand.

"Oh my God…" she whispered, and looked up at Sharpay with a huge smile, "I love them. Thank you so much, Shar! You shouldn't have, though. But I really do like them."

Sharpay giggled, "I'm glad you like them. Just remember that I love you, okay?"

"I will," Gabriella whispered, still in awe of the beautiful earrings, "and I love you."

**--ooo--**

"Hey Jack, how are you doing?" Sharpay softly questioned, and sat down on his lap, placing an arm around his shoulders, "How's everything? Feeling a bit better?"

"Always better now that you're here, Sharpay, you know that." Jack said, and tired to sound happy. Sharpay could tell that he was definitely happy, she was there, but that he was still sad and tired because of everything. She couldn't blame him though – the man just lost his mother.

Sharpay smiled softly, "I'm flattered Jack, but I don't know why you're even trying." She kissed his cheek, "You shouldn't say such things about me. You have a lovely wife."

"That doesn't mean I can't have an affair with my son's best friend." Jack said and locked eyes with her.

"Dad!" Tatiana huffed, just as she passed them and heard his comment, "I told you already, you're way too old for Sharpay, she'd want someone younger, you know that!" and then she was gone into the kitchen.

"Is that true, Sharpay?" Jack questioned. He seemed happy, but his eyes still didn't have that spark in them that they used to have. Sharpay was happy to see him more alive again, though.

"That is so not true!" Sharpay said and shook her head rapidly, which made her blonde curls fly everywhere, "You know I'd go out with you if it wasn't for the fact that you're married and I… I already have my eye on someone."

Jack paused, "Ooh, that sounds interesting, who might this someone be?"

"That's for his ears only." Sharpay told him with that certain look in her eyes. She then got more relaxed in his embrace and snuggled closer to him, letting out a sigh, "Aw, I love you Jack. You've always been like a father to me, I hate to see you this sad."

"There's nothing you can do, Sharpay." Jack said, hugging the teenage girl tight. It wasn't often any of the kids really allowed him to do that. He treasured the moments when it happened, "This is something most kids has to go through. They should anyway, because if not, then it's the parents who have to, and there's nothing more horrible than that."

"I can imagine." Sharpay whispered, and turned her head to the side, to look at him, "I'd never want to experience that. I just… I had sorta expected to be pregnant y'know?"

"Mhm."

"And I already had sort of a relationship with the baby." Sharpay continued. She had wondered if she should mention this to anyone, but she really hadn't done it. Now seemed liked the right time, though, "I was sad when I realized I wasn't pregnant at all. But in that week, that time… I developed something with someone who wasn't even there. But I thought it was. And I guess you could say that I know what you're talking about. At least I can image, because I lost mine." She paused, before softly adding, "In a way."

Jack chuckled, "Yeah, I understand, Sharpay." He said, "But you should also be happy that it was false alarm; that you weren't pregnant. It would've been hell."

"I know." Sharpay agreed, nodding her head softly, "I knew it all through everything."

"And someday," Jack added, and squeezed her tight, "you'll make a great mom. And you'll get kids."

"I know that too." Sharpay smiled and kissed his cheek again.

Jack smiled, "That's good, 'cuz you should."

Sharpay giggled, and then turned her head to the side, to find Lucy standing there, a camera in hand, "Is it okay if I interrupt now?" she asked, and held the small electronic device up, "I wanna capture the moment."

"Aw, Lucy, do you have to?" Jack asked, and pretended to make a great deal out of this, even if it wasn't. He loved those sort of pictures. He also knew he'd treasure them when he grew older and all the kids had moved away. It'd be everything he'd have of them, if not the occasional phone call from one of them.

"Jack!" Lucy said and gave him the firm glare she always used on him to get what she wants.

"Let her do it, Jack." Sharpay said, and turned on her brightest smile. She had always loved having her picture taken. And she had always looked great on pictures.

Jack stuck her tongue out at her, "Well, alright. If you girls insist."

"I do." Sharpay said.

Lucy agreed, "And so do I, Mr. Bolton." She said, before she turned the camera on, took a step back, and snapped the picture.

**--ooo--**

Sharpay was on the couch again. Ryan and Tobias were whispering quietly on the left side of her, while Tessa was texting with someone (probably David) on the right side of her, trying to cover it up, so her mother wouldn't know. Sharpay herself was again doubting her decision to tell Troy. She didn't know if she should do it today or not, but Gabriella kept sending her glances from where she was sitting with their friends, and Sharpay knew it was best to just get it done.

Lucy and Jack had, just moments ago, thanked everyone for coming, and Tatiana had said a few things about her grandmother that had made everyone tear up, and now things were back to normal. Or as normal as it can get when you're at a funeral.

Sharpay looked up, to once again meet Gabriella's eyes. The Latina girl's brown orbs were daring her to do something, and before Sharpay knew what she was doing, she had made her decision and was moving out of the couch. She had to do something; she had to do what Grandma Bolton had wanted her to. She had to make herself happy.

She crossed the living room floor and stopped next to Troy, placing a hand on his left shoulder. She lowered her head to his ear and softly whispered, "Can I speak to you for a minute?"

He turned his head to the side, his ocean blue eyes filled with questions, "Sure." He said, and shot her a small smile, "Outside or what?"

"Just in the hall please." Sharpay told him. She could already feel herself tensing up, and the conversation hadn't even begun yet. But she had to remind herself; this was just Troy. She could tell him everything, he'd never turn her away. He'd listen to her, and everything would work out, "If you don't mind." She softly continued and managed to shoot Gabriella a look before she went out of there first, Troy right on her tail.

"What is it?" Troy asked, and leaned himself against the wall. He could tell that she had something on her mind and that it was important. She seemed so serious, and he knew her inside and out. It was clear to him that something was up.

Sharpay took in a deep breath and leaned herself against the wall next to him. She could do this. It was just Troy. She had known him her entire life. She could do it. She could.

"I ah…" she swallowed, "I've been meaning to talk to you about something." She said, and looked up at him, both of their heads turned towards each other, "It's sorta important. It's about both of us."

"Both of us?" Troy questioned, on instant curious. If it was about the both of them, it could only be good. He hoped it was good news. Of course he knew he shouldn't get his hopes up with her, since she had shut him down before, but it still felt nice to have hope. "How… both of us?"

"Ahm…" Sharpay cleared her throat and scratched her cheek. She had never been good with this kind of stuff. She_ knew_ she could tell him everything, but it still didn't make this easier, "Do you remember when were at the mall last weekend? When we were in the music store?"

"Yeah…"

"That song they were playing." Sharpay said, and thought back at everything; how that song had made her feel when she heard it, how it had confirmed her of her feelings and how much she had been thinking of her and Troy right there, "Did you hear it?"

"Yeah!" Troy said and chuckled lightly, "Yeah, I did… I thought it was great. I kept thinking that…" he trailed off, knowing it wouldn't help him much to say this, but he wanted to anyway, "…that it was just you and me. It was … taken right out of our lives. Almost."

Sharpay couldn't hide her smile, "You felt that way too?" she was relieved; it was good, wasn't it? It was perfect that Troy had felt that way, because then maybe he wasn't over her yet. This gave her a bit more confidence, "I felt that way when I heard it. I just wasn't sure if I should tell you…"

Troy rolled his eyes to mock her, "Pay, you crazy girl, why shouldn't you?" he reached forward and grabbed her, just to pull her into her a hug, "I love you, you know that. I love you so much." He pulled back a little, and locked eyes with her, "You can tell me everything. You already know how I feel about you. Just… when you say stuff like this, it only makes me happy."

"I'm glad, Troy." Sharpay whispered and then breathed out slowly. She could do this. It was now… or… _No_. _**Just now**_. "Because… I've been thinking, and dreaming, mostly dreaming, actually. And I suddenly…" she reached a hand up in front of her eyes and waved it to show her confusion, "…I suddenly remembered."

Troy was confused too, "Remembered what?"

"Our night." Sharpay firmly said, and stared right into his eyes, so he'd know that she meant this and that she was confident, "I'm so sorry that I didn't believe you at first, Troy. I hope you can really forgive me because I suddenly saw… I saw that I was the one who started everything. I was the one who told you to kiss me, wasn't I?"

"Yeah…" Troy said, and felt relief stream through his body. Right now she was admitting to everything he had tried to tell her. It felt so good to know that there wasn't any doubt left between them anymore, now that she remembered – she knew he hadn't been lying, "Yeah, you did. I just… I kissed you, 'cuz I wanted to and because you said okay."

"I know," she said, and reached a hand up to touch his cheek, "I know that now. You do forgive me, don't you?"

"I forgave you a long time ago." Troy just said and tried to resist the touch her fingers gave him. But it was hard, because he loved it so much.

Sharpay smiled, "I'm glad." She said and let her fingers trail down his cheek and to his chest, "And Troy…" she swallowed, but didn't wait for his reply or anything; she went right on, "I – I love you." she held her breath and excitingly waited for him to answer her; to say something, but he didn't, so she added, "For real. I'm _in_ love with you."

This seemed to catch his attention. His eyes seemed to light up when they caught hers. They were huge in surprise, but a slight smile was also shown on his face, "What?" he just questioned. Sharpay suspected that he had to have that one more time before he could believe it.

"Troy," Sharpay said and trailed her hand even lower, to catch his. Her fingertips graced his lightly, before she grasped them in her hand, "I'm in love with you."

"You-" he paused, because he absolutely couldn't grasp this, "You're in… love with me?"

Sharpay chuckled, "I love you."

"For real?"

"Yeah!" she said, and now she could feel small tears prickling in her eyes. She had no idea how they got there, because she certainly hadn't wanted them to, but she couldn't control that. It was probably all the emotions mashed together that did this to her, but it made her feel so good, "I do! I love you, Troy Bolton."

Troy still didn't get this. Just a week ago she had told him she needed time for their friendship to be rebuild. But now she was telling him that she loved him. Now, he wasn't a rocket scientist or anything, but he had a feeling where this was going, and he definitely wanted that. The only thing to do right now for him was to let her know that he still felt the same.

He pulled her closer by their intertwined hands and before Sharpay knew what had happened, their lips were locked in a kiss. She was surprised at first, but giggled into it, letting her hands move to the nape of Troy's neck. Troy's arms circled her waist as he pulled her even closer and savoured the feeling of finally having her there with him; of finally having her lips on his again, like he had dreamt of for so long.

The kiss intensified, as their lips met again and again, for many more kisses.

Sharpay pulled back then and rested her forehead against his, her breathing uneven, "You make my stomach feel funny." She muttered.

"You get my palms sweaty." Troy challenged.

"My head gets all fuzzy." She whispered.

"My toes curl."

"And my arm-hairs stand." She giggled and lifted her arm to show him the Goosebumps that had risen there. She let it fall again, and looked him deeply in the eyes, "I like you."

"I like you too, Sharpay Evans." Troy chuckled, because of her childishness and how silly all this was, even if it possibly was the best day of his life so far.

"Mhm, that's great." She said, and with that, she kissed him again, holding him tightly as she thanked God for letting her get this second chance. She knew she probably didn't deserve it, but she was grateful that Troy had enough love for her in his heart to forgive her.

Their kiss continued on, but suddenly the two of them could hear murmurs and whispers in the background and they broke apart and turned their heads, only to find the half of their friends and family standing there, Lucy in the front with her precious camera.

"Sorry." She said, and snapped one more, "I just couldn't resist."

"Mom!" Troy said, and tightened his grip on Sharpay.

"You guys are so cute!" Tatiana chipped in, "Aren't they cute?"

"Absolutely." Gabriella confirmed, and nodded her head.

Sharpay couldn't help but giggle as she leaned closer to Troy, and whispered in his ear, "We'll talk later, okay?" she kissed his cheek, "I love you." and then she stepped out of his embrace and moved towards Gabriella, "What now, girl? Wanna go get something to drink?"

**--ooo--**

"How did you fall in love with me?"

"I just did."

"How did you just do that?"

"I fall in love with people."

"You're so amazing, Troy Bolton." Sharpay whispered, and snuggled closer to him where they were lying on his bed, "I don't know why it took me so long to see that."

Troy chuckled, "You were blind, I guess." He said, but when she smacked him on the chest, he added, "Not that blind, but a bit…" he trailed off, "I did sing for you once, you know. And you didn't even realize that."

"You sang for me?" she questioned and hoisted herself onto her elbows, so she was looking down at him, "When?"

"At the talent show." Troy said, like it was the most obvious thing, "I sang _How Did I Fall in Love With You?_ to you, while I had to watch you be all over Zeke and blow me off on our regular movie night."

"Oh my God!" she said, and leaned down to press several kisses along his jaw line, "I can't believe I've been this blind! I should have noticed. That was insensitive."

"Yeah, I know."

"Although…"

"What?"

"I did do something for you back in the days too." Sharpay said, and sat up, her arms resting on his stomach, "I wrote a poem for you, and you didn't notice, I actually…" she trailed off and got a mischievous smile on her face, "I actually made it _into_ a song just recently!"

Troy sat up too, clearly confused, "You did?"

"Yeah!" Sharpay smiled. She remembered how Gabriella told her to do it, and then sing it for Troy. It seemed like such a great idea right now; she had meant everything written in that poem, "You want me to sing it for ya'?"

Troy chuckled, "I'd love that." he said, and stroked her cheek briefly. He couldn't wait to hear what she had written for him. He was sure it had to be amazing.

"Alright, but don't laugh." She warned him and stood up, "It's called _I Won't Disagree_:" she explained, before shooting him a small smile, as she took in a deep breath;

"_Ignorance is bliss  
You'd always hear me say  
But at times you can't deny  
Those eyes lookin' your way_…"

_Let me begin by saying what I mean  
It's a crime against the heart you know  
To be somewhere in between_

_Well don't be shy  
I've got an open heart and hand  
And I just might have to confess just where I stand_

_'Cause lately you make me weaker in the knees  
And race through my veins baby every time you're close to me  
Take me away to places I ain't seen  
They say you've got a hold on me  
And I won't disagree_"

Troy stood up and stopped before her, placing his arms around her, "You definitely make me weaker in the knees too…" he whispered, before placing a light kiss on her lips. "I can't believe it took us so long to get together." He then said, when they pulled back; foreheads resting against each other.

"Let's not think about that." Sharpay suggested, with a slight smirk, "All that matters is now. I just want to be with you."

Troy sighed, "What if we mess up, though?" he questioned, voicing what he was so afraid of; losing her, "What if we break up? I don't want to lose you."

Sharpay traced his lip with her pointer-finger, "I'm not saying we won't mess up, Troy," She whispered, love shining through her eyes, "because every does." She paused again with a sigh, "We're humans and we make mistakes. But we _can't _make mistakes if we don't _try_."

"You're right." Troy agreed, and placed a light kiss on her pink lips, "So let's start over. Do it right."

* * *

_There you have it, guys! I'm so sorry about the long delay, but I've been so busy. Our internet was down for awhile and then I had so much to do… Turning seventeen takes some work, haha :D And then something serious happened to someone we know and I've been following the case closely, so I haven't had much time to write. They were in court today though, but I still don't know the outcome._

_Anyway. I didn't particularly like the outcome of this chapter. The beginning was lousy, then the middle went okay, and the ending blew. I hope it was readable and that you guys still enjoyed it. Please remember to leave me a review, and tune back in for more soon. I'm not sure if I'll be writing the next chapter of this first or if it's gonna be When You Love Someone, but I'm off school for now, so I get more time, even if I have to read for my exams and work. _

_I'm a little worried that I might have some loose ends I need to tie down, but I'm not sure. If you guys remember anything, please tell me, and I'll try to include it in the next chapter, unless it's totally not doable. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own HSM or I Won't Disagree (that's Kate Voegele) or How Did I Fall in Love With You (that one is Backstreet Boys). _


	36. Epilogue

**Epilogue **

**Happy, Happy Birthday**

"Exactly _where_ are you going on my birthday?" Sharpay questioned her parents, as they stood in the hallway. They were getting their coats on, while she was standing on the bottom step of the stairs, a slight pout on her lips, "How can you just leave me here? I'm turning seventeen!"

"It's six o'clock, Sharpay dear." Viola said, and chuckled of her daughter's silly actions, "We've already been with you all day long. And forgive me but… I thought that maybe you and Troy wanted to be alone for the evening?" she raised her eyebrow suggestively.

"Mom!" Sharpay said, not believing that her mother would suggest such thing (even if it was kind of true). It was just too weird for her to know that her parents let her have sex with her boyfriend with no doubts. It was as if they _wanted_ her to have sex with her boyfriend. "Stop saying such things. And just leave, okay? Ryan and Tobias are upstairs to celebrate Ryan, and Troy will be here in a second." She paused, "Now, buh-bye!"

Richard laughed at his oldest daughter and turned to his wife, "I think she wants us out, Vi. Is this such a good idea?"

"It's an awesome idea, Dad, goodbye." Sharpay continued, and almost pushed him out of the door, "Now, have fun with Lucy and Jack, and tell Tessa and Ashlee not to be too hard on T." she then stopped and reached up to kiss him on the cheek, "I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow." She finished.

Viola gave her a small hug, "Yeah, we love you honey." She said, before the two grown-ups turned to cross the lawn to go get Lucy and Jack. Sharpay chuckled to herself and turned to go inside. She closed the door behind her and checked her watch. Troy would be there in a second; he was probably just saying goodbye to their parents too. She believed she could just go upstairs and see what her brother and his boyfriend were doing.

She stumbled up the staircase in a happy mood. She just turned seventeen and she was going to spend the night with her boyfriend. She had no idea what they would be doing, but he was Troy and they always figured something to do. She stopped in front of his door and softly tapped it, having sense enough to not walk right in.

"Come in!" she heard Ryan through the closed door and she immediately went inside, smiling at the two boys.

"Hey!" she told them, "Mother and Daddy just left. Troy will be here in a second." She paused, "Should we just agree now that we won't disturb each other the entire evening?" she wasn't thinking _that _way, but she also didn't want to walk in on the two boys in the middle of something, like she also didn't want them to walk in on her and Troy if they were doing anything.

Ryan chuckled, "Agreed." He smiled, reaching a hand out to grab Tobias'. Sharpay wouldn't want to be thinking about what they were doing before she walked in there. "Anyway," he continued, "what will you and Troy be doing?"

"First off, I think we're eating soon, 'cuz I'm kinda hungry. Just a bit!" Sharpay laughed, and she was just about to ask them what they would be doing first, but was interrupted by two hands around her waist.

"I'm hungry too!" Troy whispered in her ear, but then added, just for the kick of it, "Just a bit…"

Sharpay giggled and turned around, placing a short kiss on his lips, "Hey there!" she greeted, completely ignoring the fact that her brother was watching them.

"Happy birthday." Troy chuckled and looked her deeply in the eyes. Even if they had been together for awhile now, he still wasn't quite used to all this. He loved being intimate with her. He loved their kisses and their touches. And he loved her so much. He was just happy to have all this and he was living each moment to the fullest. He had been looking so forward to this day.

Someone cleared their throat behind Sharpay so he glanced beside her and realized that Ryan was sitting there as well, and that Sharpay wasn't the only twin who had a birthday today, "Happy birthday to you too, Ryan!" he added, which caused Ryan to break out in a happy smile.

"Let's go downstairs." Sharpay mumbled and grabbed his hand tightly. She waved to the two guys softly before closing the door to Ryan's room. She tightened her grip on Troy's hand and dragged him with her down the stairs, "I've missed you." she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder.

Troy smiled, "I've missed you too." He said. And even if they only saw each other yesterday, that was still true. He did miss her – he missed her all the time when he wasn't with her, "So…" he said, when they came into the kitchen and Sharpay went to look in the fridge, and he jumped onto a table, "what do we have to eat in this house?"

"Mhm," Sharpay said and glanced at all the shelves in the fridge – there was not much, "I'm searching and searching, but… I cannot seem to find anything particularly tasty." She turned her head to him and raised one eyebrow in the way she knew always made him laugh, "So much for a birthday dinner."

Troy chuckled, "How about we make Mac 'n' Cheese?" he suggested her, "We do rock that meal, don't we?"

"Haha, yeah." Sharpay said, and closed the fridge with a bang. She crossed the floor and stopped in front of him, moving in between his legs. She placed her hands on either side of him with a slight smirk, "So where's my present? You know I'm expecting something, right?"

"And I do have something." Troy said, and gave her a sideways grin, "You really anxious for it, or do you wanna wait?"

Sharpay pouted to him, her huge chocolate brown eyes getting even bigger than usual, "I want it now…" she told him, "Can I have now or do I have to wait?"

"You can have it now." he said, somewhat uncertain. This was a huge thing. He had spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do and how to do it correctly, but his mother had convinced him to get it done. She was so sure of their relationship, and he was sure himself, it just… They were still so young, but maybe it would be alright. He was sure Sharpay would love it too. But that didn't make him less nervous, "It's sorta… a big deal for me."

Sharpay looked surprised, "A big deal? What is it, Troy?" she questioned him.

Troy reached into his pocket and grabbed the card first. That one was special too. He had actually spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to write her. He wanted it to be personal and he wanted it to be memorable. He just wanted to do something she would love him for. "This is just the card." He told her.

Sharpay gently took the envelope out of hands and gave him a curious look, a glint in her eye. "I get a card?" she questioned, "How fancy." She added, in a British accent. She giggled lightly ad opened the pink envelope. She then reached into it and got the card out. She gave him another look before she opened it, to find a short message scribbled in Troy's horrible handwriting.

_Hey Payday. _

_Happy seventeenth birthday. I hope I won't be too boring company tonight – I just want you to have a good day. I always do when I'm with you. Do you remember when we went to get ice cream and I slipped and fell and you tried to catch me and ended up straight on top of me? That's what I'm talking about. We always goof off, like when we sing Donald Duck in the school's cafeteria and everybody looks at us as if we're crazy. I love you so much, and I hope you know that, that's why I've got this gift for you. I really hope you like it. _

_Love always,_

_Troy. _

"Donald Duck…" Sharpay whispered and looked up at him. Her voice was really soft and she looked moved, which meant he had probably done something right in that card, "I love Donald Duck."

"I love Donald Duck too." Troy told her and reached a hand out to stroke her on the cheek, "But not as much as I love you." he then leaned forward and placed a deep kiss on her lips, savouring the taste of her cherry lipgloss. He pulled back, a goofy smile on his face, "And… this is the present." He said and reached into his pocket again, fixing out a small, pink, velvet box.

Sharpay's eyes went wide in surprise as he handed her the small box. She looked up at him again and he motioned for her to open it without saying a word. She opened the box and found a small, simply ring in there, with one pink stone. It wasn't much, but Troy had worked hard to find the perfect ring – something that wasn't too cheap since he knew what Sharpay wanted, but also something he could easily overdo later when he had to.

"What's…" she smiled up at him, a happy glint in her eyes, "What's this for? It's a bit much for just my birthday…"

"Do you like it?" Troy just softly questioned. He couldn't describe how much love he felt for her that moment. If she loved the ring, it would all get so much better, and he wasn't sure if he would be able to comprehend that. He had no idea how he could have ever lived without dating her. Luckily for him he had always had her with him, just as only friends.

She giggled, "I love it, silly." She told him, and kissed him quickly, "It's amazing, I'm gonna wear it all the time… But still…" she glanced at it quickly, but then back at him, "What's it really for?"

"Sharpay," Troy said, getting ready to tell her everything he had planned. He just hoped he wouldn't screw up, "I love you so much. I wanna marry you someday. I know everyone says that you don't know what you want in high school. But my parents met in high school, and they're so happy. I've known you forever, and I know that I want you." he paused, to look her deeply in the eyes, "This is not a proposal, we're still too young. We need to grow together and we need to finish our educations. But… This ring, if you accept it, is just… a promise from me to you. Sorta."

"A promise?" she questioned, clearly moved by what he was saying, which he took as a good sign. She looked just about ready to cry. Not that he wanted her to, but as long as it was tears of happiness, he could deal with it.

"Yeah, a promise." Troy chuckled and took the ring out of the box, looking at it as he swirled it between his fingers, "A lot of people do this promise ring thingy, but… I'm not like a lot of people. I don't want this to be something that people do, because we're different, I just… I want you to have a beautiful ring, and then I want you to keep in mind that it can easily, in a few years, be turned into something else…"

Sharpay nodded slowly and locked eyes with him, "So you really want to marry me?" she asked him.

"Mhm," Troy chuckled, teasing her by placing the ring right by the tip of her finger, "I really do. But… This ring, it's for you. And… And you can have it, if you really do want to marry me too." He paused, before quickly adding, "Someday."

"I do not need a ring to promise you that." Sharpay whispered, her voice was soft. She couldn't believe this. Everything he was saying. It was so confusing, but she loved every minute of it. She was sort of happy this wasn't one of those traditional promise things, even if it reminded her a lot of it. She knew though, that she would get the ring no matter if she said yes or no. Not that she would ever dream of telling him no – she loved him too much, "I love you, Troy. And I _do_ want to marry you someday. With or without the ring."

"Oh," he said, a small smile coming to his lips, "I'll just take the ring back then." He teased her, and was about to move his hands, when her fingers locked around her wrist.

"But no!" she pouted to him, those big eyes pleading with him, because she knew they got to him every time, "I still want to ring, Troysie…"

Troy laughed, "Oh yeah, how could I be so stupid?" he dumbly questioned her, and then slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you Sharpay Evans."

"I love you too." She whispered and tip-toed up, kissing him gently on the lips several times, before he caught her arms and kept her there, deepening the kiss. She smiled into his mouth and moved her hands with the new sparkling ring to the nape of his neck, letting her tongue break through his lips.

They pulled back a couple of minutes later, both breathing hard, "Weren't we hungry?" Troy asked her, a goofy grin across his face.

She giggled, "Yeah, how about that Mac 'n' Cheese, eh?"

"Yeah." Troy said and jumped off of the table to fix it out of the cupboard. He knew where everything was, he had always known where it was. And he was the one who would cook it anyway; Sharpay had never been the best one in a kitchen. If she was going to cook dinner, they'd probably just end up eating coco pops.

"Troy?" Sharpay questioned, as he found everything he needed, and started getting it together on the stove, "Do you remember our deal?"

Troy turned to look at her, "Deal?"

"Yeah…" she said, and now it was her turn to sit on the table, "The deal we made before we started high school? Don't you remember? About us sleeping together at Prom?"

"Oh yeah!" Troy laughed, as he remembered the last time he had thought of that. It was back when Sharpay had just told him she had slept with Zeke for the first time. He remembered he had been so sad about that – he had always wanted his first time to be with her. And eventually it had been, which was great. But now there really was no promise, they weren't virgins anymore, "We were so silly… I guess we should just forget about that now? We've already slept together."

"Sure we have," she teased him, but then crooked her eyebrow suggestively, "but that doesn't mean we can't sleep together at Prom anyway." She told him, and then stuck her tongue out at him.

"You know what…" Troy said, and turned around to look at her fully, "I think you've just got yourself a deal there, missy."

"Awesome." She told him, but then turned all serious, "Now, cook me food."

Troy nodded formally, "Shall do, Miss."

She giggled and watched him as he started to work. It was all good. So far this was the best birthday she had ever had. It didn't matter that her parents weren't there; that they were out with their best friends and she was alone with her boyfriend. In fact, it was very cool that she was alone with her boyfriend, because this was the most fun she had had in a long time – Troy always managed to bring the best out of every situation.

She watched him work for a few minutes as he got into it. He had this weird obsession with Mac 'n' Cheese. It had to be cooked perfectly, there was no exceptions. She didn't know what it was with him, but it was alright. She loved his food anyway. It tasted good whether he was just heating up Mac 'n' Cheese or creating something of his own.

When the food was done he took the pot off of the stove and scooped something up for the both of them in two bowls. He handed her one and got two spoons out of the drawer, placing one in each bowl.

"I hope you enjoy your birthday dinner, Miss Sharpay Karen Evans." Troy said and he tasted his – it was okay.

Sharpay took a spoonful too, "I know I will. You made it for me, didn't you?" she mumbled, while she chewed, taking in the familiar taste.

"Oh yeah." Troy just mumbled, when suddenly, he remembered something. He remembered another time the two of them had been in this kitchen together. They had been making Mac 'n' Cheese there too, while Ryan had been casually eating an apple. Troy couldn't help but chuckle aloud, and turned to Sharpay, "Do you remember the last time we were making Mac 'n' Cheese?" he questioned.

"Yeah…" Sharpay said, a light smile getting on her lips. It seemed like she was remembering too.

"Remember that you hit Ryan on the hand and his apple sorta… Sorta flew out of it and landed on the floor?" Troy continued.

"Mhm…" Sharpay nodded, licking her lips gently, to get rid of every trace of Mac 'n' Cheese on them.

Troy smirked, "And then he, y'know, told you to lick it up?" he tried.

Sharpay bit her lip, "Aha…"

"And he left, and you wanted me to do it, but of course I didn't want to, so we let it be, and you started talking about kitchen sex and how you wanted to have that one day?"

"Now you lost me."

Troy hit her softly on her thigh, "Oh, you do so remember!" he told her, eyes wide, "You wanted to, and you kinda winked at me, and said 'who said anything about Zeke?'…" he winked at _her_ this time, "How about we do this… without Zeke in the picture?"

"Nah, I'm not really up for it."

Troy placed his bowl on the table and took a step closer to her, a wide grin on his lips, "Are you sure about that?" he asked, "Because you did sound very serious back when we talked about it the last time. I remember… I remember that I was thinking, 'I have to show her how it's really done one day'."

"Oh, so you were thinking that?" Sharpay teasingly whispered as their faces got closer together, their breaths mixing between them.

Troy swallowed, "Yeah…" he said.

Sharpay giggled as she placed a short kiss on his lip and placed her bowl next to her, "We have to do something about that, don't we?" she kissed him again, and pulled him even closer, placing her hands in his back pockets.

Troy nodded, a huge smile coming across his face, by just the thought of it. "So where would the lady fancy it? I wouldn't think the stove's too comfortable, but how about the counter? I think I can hoist you onto it." he smirked at her, a glint in his blue eyes.

"Oh yeah…" Sharpay whispered, and locked lips with him. She then slowly slid off of the kitchen table, locking her legs around him, so he was carrying her entire weight. He stumbled for a second to get a better hold on her, so he was sure he wouldn't drop her or something, but then turned around and took the few steps to the counter. He got her onto it, and followed closely after, until they were both lying on the counter, Sharpay sprawled beneath him.

"So that's how it's done, I want you to remember that." Troy said, and looked down at her. Her hair was all over the place, but she looked so beautiful.

"Yeah…" she whispered, and reached a finger out, tracing his bottom lip, "I know that Zeke could have never done that. He's way too weak. Haha!"

Troy shook his head, but loved the compliment, even if he knew it wasn't true. Zeke was much stronger than him, but it was still nice to hear she was so confident in him, "So now I've got you on the counter – in the kitchen –" he added and she giggled, "what do I do? What was in your vision?"

Sharpay pretended to think about it for a few seconds as she bit her lip in wonderment. But the she looked up at him beneath her long eyelashes and offered him a caring smile, "I just say… go at it, tiger."

She didn't need to tell him that twice. He chuckled and bent down to kiss her again, his hands going up beneath her short, blue summer dress. He stroked her thighs as they kept on kissing, and her hands pushed his jacket off, and then went to work on the buttons of his jeans.

He trailed his kisses down her chin and her neck, until they reached the start of her dress. He reached up and roughly brushed it to the side, hoping to get more skin out in the open. When he was happy with the amount of skin showing, he kissed her there again and again, loving the sound of her soft giggles beneath him, as her hand went into his jeans and teased him like she always did.

"No, no…" he grumbled and stopped his kisses, so her could look her in the eye, "That's not fair, Sharpay."

She giggled again and licked her lips, "Oh, but I think it is…" she just told him, and then leaned up to catch his lips in another kiss. He kissed her back with as much eager as she kissed him, but they didn't get to kiss for very long because a loud shriek was heard, and the two broke apart, to find Ryan in the doorway, a hand on his heart.

"Ryan!" Sharpay exclaimed, and immediately pushed Troy off, and covered her chest, while Troy fumbled with his jeans, "I thought we agreed to stay out of each other's business!" she rolled her eyes at him, "This was exactly what I didn't want to have happen!"

"I'm sorry!" poor Ryan said and slowly went past them and to the fridge, "But we were hungry. I didn't actually think you'd go at it in the kitchen." He defended himself, as he opened the fridge and grabbed some fruits – apples, Troy noticed, and had to hide his smile – and two water bottles, "I'm going now anyway, just… clean off the table, _please_."

Sharpay made a face when he passed them again, and as soon as he was out of there, she jumped down from the counter, and fixed her appearance completely, so she looked like before, "We should probably wait with the kitchen sex until we've got our own place someday, huh?" she whispered, and stepped closer to him, a small smile on her lips.

"I'll hold you on that idea." Troy whispered back. He placed a short kiss on her lips, before he grabbed his jacket and took it on, "What do you say we go upstairs and continue this there instead?" he suggested.

Sharpay bit her lip, "Mhm," she said, and took a step back from him, "I think that's a good idea…" She said, and then turned around completely and rushed out of there, before he had a chance to realize what she was doing, "…if you can catch me!" she yelled at him, and there she was already by the stairs.

He suddenly realized what she was doing and hurried after her with laughter playing in his voice as he called her name, but she had a huge advance. She was so small and she was way ahead of him. He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could, and hurried down the hallway and towards her room. Since this was a straight hallway, he caught up to her, and almost slipped when he turned the corner to her room. He managed to grab her by the waist when he entered, and they both flew to her bed, landing in heap of hair and limbs.

Sharpay giggled wildly and turned around to press a chaste kiss to his lips, "Mhm, you almost didn't catch me, but it's good enough."

Troy chuckled and took in a deep breath. It was hard to run and laugh at the same time, so he was a little out of breath. Sharpay rolled over, so she was lying on top of him, and traced her hands down his stomach, pushing his t-shirt up, to reveal his underwear.

"Oh!" she said, and smiled up at him, "You're wearing the boxers I bought for you right when Tessa was in the hospital."

Troy looked down and realized she was right. He was wearing those Fairly Odd Parents boxers she had bought for him back then. It's funny how things work out. "Yeah… they're kinda nice." He whispered.

Sharpay giggled and rested her head on his stomach, as their breathing got calmer, and he let his hand wander into her hair, brushing through it gently. She let out a huge content sigh and closed her eyes, while he did the same, thinking that things just couldn't be better.

He knew they had both screwed up in the past, and that this ride had been a long and painful one, but it was all worth it. He knew he had made huge mistakes, but he was grateful for the fact that Sharpay had forgiven him and that they were good now. Sometimes he still couldn't believe that he actually got the girl. He got the girl he had wanted, and sure, their relationship was far from perfect, but they were them. They were Troy and Sharpay and he wouldn't have it any other way. She was just… She was just an amazing person, and he hoped that he'd never have to lose her. He hoped that they could make it through anything. They just had to, because-

"You're doing it now, Troy!" Sharpay interrupted him, as she lifted herself onto her elbows and looked down at him, "You're doing that thing with your breath again!"

"It's because I'm thinking!" Troy defended himself, but couldn't help but chuckle. He couldn't count how many times they had had this conversation. It was a lot. And yet still… She didn't give up, she kept on fighting this battle, and he never got tired of hearing it.

She offered him a pouty look, "What were you thinking about?"

"You." he quickly said and gazed right into her big eyes, "I love you."

"I hate you too." Sharpay teased him, a grin plastered across her beautiful face.

Troy sighed, "Shut up and kiss me." he demanded, hoping that she would. He had no idea where they would be in the future; what lay ahead of them. But all he knew was that they loved each other, and that was good enough. If this was love, then he hoped everyone would experience it in their lives. If it wasn't love, then he was happy with the way things were. Maybe it was just a lot like love. Love seemed so final.

"I will." Sharpay smirked, and leaned in. She smacked him on the side of the head instead, and burst out laughing.

Oh yeah, it definitely _was_ a lot like love.

Troy laughed too and rolled them over, immediately going for her tickly spot.

* * *

_Oh my God. I have no idea what to write to you guys now. Was this… was this really the final chapter? It was! I can't believe it's like… over now. Goooosh, I've loved writing this fic. You guys have been the most awesome reviewers. You've helped me make this my most successful story so far (: I'll thank you all for sticking with me through this fic. It became way too long, and yet you still kept on reading. I'm very grateful. _

_And then I had huge difficulties about where to go with this story. I was contemplating about the ending. Did I want to get Troy and Sharpay together? For a long while I was going to keep them apart since what Troy had done was so unforgivable (I still believe it is, which makes this story a bit unrealistic), but people convinced me to get them together, so I hope the ending I typed out was good enough for everyone (: _

_I hope you enjoyed this last chapter. I did my best to just make if fluffy and Troypay-ish and I tried to bring things back together to make it feel like it really was the end. I hope I made it feel that way? _

_Thank you for the awesome reviews from last chapter. But I'm gonna ask you… for the last time (in this fic anyway); will you leave me a review? It's the last chapter! Please tell me what you thought of it. It'd mean a lot to me. _

_**Dedication; **__All of you guys! You've been amazing through this. I'm thanking you for all the kind words you've written me through reviews and for giving me great ideas and for correcting my mistakes. Thank you. _

_**Disclaimer; **__I don't own HSM._

_**Review replies **__(these are the last ones)__**;**_

_**lib lob; **__I'm glad you liked it (: _

_**Evane21; **__Well, I'm glad you decided to do so now! This was the last chapter, and I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for all the great reviews through everything. _

_**XxXxIcePrincessXxXx; **__Aw, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for reading and everything. _

_**Bribra; **__Mhm, I'm not sure if I have any ideas… Those few I have, I plan on writing on my own. And thank you for the kind words and for the birthday wishes. I hope you got my PM. If you need help again, just PM me back :D _

_**reader91; **__I'm glad you liked the way I got them together. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter too. I wrote a lot of Troypay action (:_

_**-i'm headstrong-; **__I'm glad you liked it. I hope this chapter was for your liking too? _

_**CreeksideLovesZashley; **__Happy you liked it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. _

_**plasticlittlespastic; **__Yeah, I did use Kate (; She's awesome. Hah xD And yup, I was thinking 'finally!' too, when I finally got to write the scene where they got together. _

_**Courtney; **__I'm glad you like it. It's reviews like yours that really make me smile. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter too, and be sure to let me know what you think of it, please? (:_

_**LucyLicious xx; **__Yeah, it was kinda sad that Grandma Bolton died, but luckily we didn't get to know her all that good. And it was good that at least she got Sharpay and Troy to get together before she passed away. She would probably have loved to see it, though. Thank you SO much for reviewing through this entire thing. _

_**Zashleyrocks and Zanessa sucks; **__Hah, yeah, I did turn seventeen. And thank you for the birthday wishes :b Hehe. I hope this chapter was good. Thanks for reading. _

_**xJamey; **__To answer you question, even if you already figured it out – this was the last chapter. I surely hope you enjoyed it. I kinda didn't want it to end either, but I also did. I have been writing on this for so long now, and I really need to start something new. It's too boring to keep writing on the same stuff over and over. Haha. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. _

_**Clotisy; **__Heeey ficcie-star xD Remember when you were in my fic, haha? And yeah, I know! Lucy was so bad with her camera, but at least Troy and Sharpay got all the moments they wanted in this chapter (except for Ryan! – the evil twin. Haha). And you're right. Victims of Love does suit Troypay. _

_**mrshottieefron; **__I'm glad you thought so. I hope this chapter was good too. _

_**cutiepink928; **__I'm glad you think so. And a lot of my readers used the word 'finally' in the reviews from last chapter. I guess I do have been holding out for too long. Anyway. Thanks for reading. _

_**nrisley19892007; **__I'm glad you liked! I thanks for reviewing. All the times! (:_

_**Going2Alaska; **__Aw, that was your favourite chapter? I sorta liked it too. It was good to finally be able to type that moment out. _

_**HeSaidSheSaidx; **__Yeah, you're right… Gabriella actually has done a lot for Troy and Sharpay in this story. That's kinda nice, don't you think so? Usually she's only there to ruin things for them ;b And I know what you mean about picture-taking. My Grandma does that all the time. And she takes like twenty for one pose. She gets us to sit and smile this and that way, and then her camera is ages about finally taking the picture. But I let her… she just wants memories. Haha xD I hope you also liked the update for When You Love Someone – I hope to get that one finished soon ._

_**Kelly; **__Haha, you had too much sugar too? I do that a lot. Haha (: I'm glad you liked it. _

_**U.S. Princess; **__Yay! I agree with you. That's kinda nice. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this incredibly long fic. _

_**OoIce QueenoO; **__Hah, I'm glad someone agrees with me. I found last chapter bad too. Haha. Well, you said it was still good, so I believe you. But you're right – it was very different from my usual ones. I have no idea why; sometime that just happens. xD I'm glad you liked the Zekella I somewhat implied in this story. Thanks for reading. _

_**k; **__Yeah (: thank God. _

_**EvaporateTallPerson; **__I'm glad you're that happy. I felt like it was finally time to get them to hook up. Hehe. Thanks for reviewing. _

_**BeneathTheSurface; **__Thank you, thank you (: I'm glad you liked it. Now… Not to be pushy, but when will you update your newest ficcie? I'm just… I just love it ;b_

_**BrookieCookie490; **__Thank you for the review and I'm glad you liked it. I hope you enjoyed this last chapter too. _

_**purdyinpink11; **__Haha, cutest chapter ever? I'm glad you think so! I did try to make it a bit fluffy. Haha. Like I also tried to do with this chapter. Thank you for reading. _

_**katasticx33; **__Aw, you really think so? Thank you! I dunno if I'll be a writer, but maybe. My teacher told me to go for it too. He like… loves everything I hand in. Hah xD And mhm, maybe if I'm a writer, someday I'll type this out with different characters and try to get it published. Hehe. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I hope this last chapter was good too. _

_**DanceDORK; **__I see a good future for them too. Unfortunately, I won't be one to write that. I'll let them have that, themselves. Hehe. Thanks for reading. _

_**Bethanyyy!!; **__Hah, I had an alright birthday, thank you. And it's okay with the reviewing. I do miss talking to you, though. Once we both get time, we really need to update, don't we? I love you sweetie. And I hope you liked the ending to this. I wanted to show it to you before I posted it, but we never seemed to be online on the same time (:_

_**PshYeah; **__Ah, it's okay with that one-shot. I'll survive, even if I know I would've loved it. I know how exams are… Luckily I don't have that many this year, and so far, I haven't had to study. But I will… I've got Spanish on Wednesday and Thursday, but ah… It's only a yearly test, so it doesn't really count. I want to do good though. Hehe. I love you so much, and I hope we speak soon. _

_**PenniaIsNowVeryHAPPY; **__Ahh, haha. Maybe I will be on Beffy's forum. I don't know though. Hehe. Thank you for reviewing. I hope everything's good with you? Mhm? _

_**HelloLish; **__I'm glad you liked it. Thank you for reviewing. (: _


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